Tumor necrosis factor and cancer, buddies or foes?

CellCallEXT: Analysis of Ligand-Receptor and Transcription Factor Activities in Cell-Cell Communication of Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Simple Summary

CellCall is an R package tool that is used to analyze cell–cell communication based on transcription factor (TF) activities calculated by cell-type specificity of target genes and thus cannot directly handle two-condition comparisons. We developed CellCallEXT to complement CellCall. CellCallEXT can directly identify ligand–receptor (L–R) interactions that alter the expression profiles of downstream genes between two conditions, such as tumor and healthy tissue. Scoring in CellCallEXT quantitatively integrates expression of ligands, receptors, TFs, and target genes (TGs). The pathway enrichment analysis and visualization modules allow biologists to investigate how disease alters cell–cell communication. Furthermore, Reactome pathways were added into CellCallEXT to expand the L–R–TF database.

Abstract

(1) Background: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data are useful for decoding cell–cell communication. CellCall is a tool that is used to infer inter- and intracellular communication pathways by integrating paired ligand–receptor (L–R) and transcription factor (TF) activities from steady-state data and thus cannot directly handle two-condition comparisons. For tumor and healthy status, it can only individually analyze cells from tumor or healthy tissue and examine L–R pairs only identified in either tumor or healthy controls, but not both together. Furthermore, CellCall is highly affected by gene expression specificity in tissues. (2) Methods: CellCallEXT is an extension of CellCall that deconvolutes intercellular communication and related internal regulatory signals based on scRNA-seq. Information on Reactome was retrieved and integrated with prior knowledge of L–R–TF signaling and gene regulation datasets of CellCall. (3) Results: CellCallEXT was successfully applied to examine tumors and immune cell microenvironments and to identify the altered L–R pairs and downstream gene regulatory networks among immune cells. Application of CellCallEXT to scRNA-seq data from patients with deficiency of adenosine deaminase 2 demonstrated its ability to impute dysfunctional intercellular communication and related transcriptional factor activities. (4) Conclusions: CellCallEXT provides a practical tool to examine intercellular communication in disease based on scRNA-seq data.

Exploration of Site-Specific Drug Targeting-A Review on EPR-, Stimuli-, Chemical-, and Receptor-Based Approaches as Potential Drug Targeting Methods in Cancer Treatment

Cancer has been one of the most dominant causes of mortality globally over the last few decades. In cancer treatment, the selective targeting of tumor cells is indispensable, making it a better replacement for conventional chemotherapies by diminishing their adverse side effects. While designing a drug to be delivered selectively in the target organ, the drug development scientists should focus on various factors such as the type of cancer they are dealing with according to which drug, targeting moieties, and pharmaceutical carriers should be targeted. All published articles have been collected regarding cancer and drug-targeting approaches from well reputed databases including MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CENTRAL and ClinicalTrials.gov, Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Wiley, and Springer. The articles published between January 2010 and December 2020 were considered. Due to the existence of various mechanisms, it is challenging to choose which one is appropriate for a specific case. Moreover, a combination of more than one approach is often utilized to achieve optimal drug effects. In this review, we have summarized and highlighted central mechanisms of how the targeted drug delivery system works in the specific diseased microenvironment, along with the strategies to make an approach more effective. We have also included some pictorial illustrations to have a precise idea about different types of drug targeting. The core contribution of this work includes providing a cancer drug development scientist with a broad preliminary idea to choose the appropriate approach among the various targeted drug delivery mechanisms. Also, the study will contribute to improving anticancer treatment approaches by providing a pathway for lesser side effects observed in conventional chemotherapeutic techniques.

The Antioxidant and Antitumor Efficiency of Litophyton sp. Extract in DMH-Induced Colon Cancer in Male Rats

One of the most common tumors to cause death worldwide is colon cancer. This study aims to investigate the antitumor potency of Litophyton sp. methanolic extract (LME) against DMH-induced colon cancer in adult male rats. Group (1) normal rats served as the control, group (2) normal rats were ip-injected with LME at a dose of 100 μg/kg/day, group (3) DMH-induced colon cancer animals, and group (4) colon cancer-modeled animals were treated with LME (100 μg/kg/day) for six weeks. The results revealed that injection of LME markedly regenerated the colon cancer pathophysiological disorders; this was monitored from the significant reduction in the values of serum biomarkers (CEA, CA19.9, AFP), cytokines (TNF-α and IL1β), and biochemical measurements (ALAT, ASAT, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, and triglycerides) matched significant increase of apoptotic biomarkers (CD4+); similarly, colon DNA fragmentation, MDA, and NO levels were down-regulated. In contrast, a remarkable upregulation in colon SOD, GPx, GSH, and CAT levels was noted. Moreover, the colon histopathological architecture showed obvious regenerations. Chromatography of LME resulted in the purification of two polyhydroxylated steroids (1 and 2) with potential cytotoxic activities. LME performed therapeutic potential colon tumorigenesis; therefore, LME may have a promising chemo-preventive feature against colon cancer, probably via enhancement of the apoptosis pathway, improvement of the immune response, reduction of inflammation, or/and restoration of the impaired oxidative stress.

Metallated phthalocyanines and their hydrophilic derivatives for multi-targeted oncological photodynamic therapy

BACKGROUND AND AIM

A photosensitizer (PS) delivery and comprehensive tumor targeting platform was developed that is centered on the photosensitization of key pharmacological targets in solid tumors (cancer cells, tumor vascular endothelium, and cellular and non-cellular components of the tumor microenvironment) before photodynamic therapy (PDT). Interstitially targeted liposomes (ITLs) encapsulating zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPC) and aluminum phthalocyanine (AlPC) were formulated for passive targeting of the tumor microenvironment. In previous work it was established that the PEGylated ITLs were taken up by cultured cholangiocarcinoma cells. The aim of this study was to verify previous results in cancer cells and to determine whether the ITLs can also be used to photosensitize cells in the tumor microenvironment and vasculature. Following positive results, rudimentary in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed with ZnPC-ITLs and AlPC-ITLs as well as their water-soluble tetrasulfonated derivatives (ZnPCS4 and AlPCS4) to assemble a research dossier and bring this platform closer to clinical transition.

METHODS

Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy were employed to determine ITL uptake and PS distribution in cholangiocarcinoma (SK-ChA-1) cells, endothelial cells (HUVECs), fibroblasts (NIH-3T3), and macrophages (RAW 264.7). Uptake of ITLs by endothelial cells was verified under flow conditions in a flow chamber. Dark toxicity and PDT efficacy were determined by cell viability assays, while the mode of cell death and cell cycle arrest were assayed by flow cytometry. In vivo systemic toxicity was assessed in zebrafish and chicken embryos, whereas skin phototoxicity was determined in BALB/c nude mice. A PDT efficacy pilot was conducted in BALB/c nude mice bearing human triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) xenografts.

RESULTS

The key findings were that (1) photodynamically active PSs (i.e., all except ZnPCS4) were able to effectively photosensitize cancer cells and non-cancerous cells; (2) following PDT, photodynamically active PSs were highly toxic-to-potent as per anti-cancer compound classification; (3) the photodynamically active PSs did not elicit notable systemic toxicity in zebrafish and chicken embryos; (4) ITL-delivered ZnPC and ZnPCS4 were associated with skin phototoxicity, while the aluminum-containing PSs did not exert detectable skin phototoxicity; and (5) ITL-delivered ZnPC and AlPC were equally effective in their tumor-killing capacity in human tumor breast cancer xenografts and superior to other non-phthalocyanine PSs when appraised on a per mole administered dose basis.

CONCLUSIONS

AlPC(S4) are the safest and most effective PSs to integrate into the comprehensive tumor targeting and PS delivery platform. Pending further in vivo validation, these third-generation PSs may be used for multi-compartmental tumor photosensitization.

Synthesis, biological evaluation and docking studies of methylene bearing cyanopyrimidine derivatives possessing a hydrazone moiety as potent Lysine specific demethylase-1 (LSD1) inhibitors: A promising anticancer agents

A series of novel cyanopyrimidine-hydrazone hybrids were synthesized and characterized with various spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized compounds were tested at NCI, USA, on a 60-cell line panel and most of the compounds showed remarkable cytotoxic activity against different cancer cell lines. Compound 5a was found to be the most potent compound of the series and it was further selected for five dose assays wherein it exhibited GI50 value of 0.414 µM and 0.417 µM against HOP-62 and OVCAR-4 cell lines respectively. The in-silico mechanistic studies indicated that these compounds are acting through inhibition of lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) as evident from in to vitro LSD1 inhibition activity of compounds. Among various synthesized derivatives, compound 5a was found to have IC50-value of 0.956 µM. In addition, absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity profile (ADMET) was assessed for these novel derivatives to get an insight on their pharmacokinetic/dynamic attributes which revealed that synthesized compounds showed acceptable metabolic stability in human liver microsomes with minimal inhibition of cytochrome P450s (CYPs). The results indicated that compound 5a could be a promising lead compound for further development as a therapeutic agent for anticancer activity.

The systemic-level repercussions of cancer-associated inflammation mediators produced in the tumor microenvironment

The tumor microenvironment is a dynamic, complex, and redundant network of interactions between tumor, immune, and stromal cells. In this intricate environment, cells communicate through membrane-membrane, ligand-receptor, exosome, soluble factors, and transporter interactions that govern cell fate. These interactions activate the diverse and superfluous signaling pathways involved in tumor promotion and progression and induce subtle changes in the functional activity of infiltrating immune cells. The immune response participates as a selective pressure in tumor development. In the early stages of tumor development, the immune response exerts anti-tumor activity, whereas during the advanced stages, the tumor establishes mechanisms to evade the immune response, eliciting a chronic inflammation process that shows a pro-tumor effect. The deregulated inflammatory state, in addition to acting locally, also triggers systemic inflammation that has repercussions in various organs and tissues that are distant from the tumor site, causing the emergence of various symptoms designated as paraneoplastic syndromes, which compromise the response to treatment, quality of life, and survival of cancer patients. Considering the tumor-host relationship as an integral and dynamic biological system, the chronic inflammation generated by the tumor is a communication mechanism among tissues and organs that is primarily orchestrated through different signals, such as cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and exosomes, to provide the tumor with energetic components that allow it to continue proliferating. In this review, we aim to provide a succinct overview of the involvement of cancer-related inflammation at the local and systemic level throughout tumor development and the emergence of some paraneoplastic syndromes and their main clinical manifestations. In addition, the involvement of these signals throughout tumor development will be discussed based on the physiological/biological activities of innate and adaptive immune cells. These cellular interactions require a metabolic reprogramming program for the full activation of the various cells; thus, these requirements and the by-products released into the microenvironment will be considered. In addition, the systemic impact of cancer-related proinflammatory cytokines on the liver-as a critical organ that produces the leading inflammatory markers described to date-will be summarized. Finally, the contribution of cancer-related inflammation to the development of two paraneoplastic syndromes, myelopoiesis and cachexia, will be discussed.

Mouse Models for Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapeutic Research in Oral Cancer

The most prevalent oral cancer globally is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The invasion of adjacent bones and the metastasis to regional lymph nodes often lead to poor prognoses and shortened survival times in patients with OSCC. Encouraging immunotherapeutic responses have been seen with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs); however, these positive responses to monotherapy have been limited to a small subset of patients. Therefore, it is urgent that further investigations into optimizing immunotherapies are conducted. Areas of research include identifying novel immune checkpoints and targets and tailoring treatment programs to meet the needs of individual patients. Furthermore, the advancement of combination therapies against OSCC is also critical. Thus, additional studies are needed to ensure clinical trials are successful. Mice models are advantageous in immunotherapy research with several advantages, such as relatively low costs and high tumor growth success rate. This review paper divided methods for establishing OSCC mouse models into four categories: syngeneic tumor models, chemical carcinogen induction, genetically engineered mouse, and humanized mouse. Each method has advantages and disadvantages that influence its application in OSCC research. This review comprehensively surveys the literature and summarizes the current mouse models used in immunotherapy, their advantages and disadvantages, and details relating to the cell lines for oral cancer growth. This review aims to present evidence and considerations for choosing a suitable model establishment method to investigate the early diagnosis, clinical treatment, and related pathogenesis of OSCC.

Identification of novel prognostic risk signature of breast cancer based on ferroptosis-related genes

Ferroptosis is a type of cell regulated necrosis triggered by intracellular phospholipid peroxidation, which is more immunogenic than apoptosis. Therefore, genes controlling ferroptosis may be promising candidate biomarkers for tumor therapy. In this study, we investigate the function of genes associated with ferroptosis in breast cancer (BC) and systematically evaluate the relationship between ferroptosis-related gene expression and prognosis of BC patients from the Cancer Genome Atlas database. By using the consensus clustering method, 1203 breast cancer samples were clustered into two clearly divided subgroups based on the expression of 237 ferroptosis-related genes. Then differentially expressed analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were used to identify the prognosis-related genes. Furthermore, the genetic risk signature was constructed using the expression of prognosis-related genes. Our results showed that the genetic risk signature can identify patient subgroups with distinct prognosis in either training cohort or validation, and the genetic risk signature was associated with the tumor immune microenvironment. Finally, the Cox regression analysis indicated that our risk signature was an independent prognostic factor for BC patients and this signature was verified by the polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Within this study, we identified a novel prognostic classifier based on five ferroptosis-related genes which may provide a new reference for the treatment of BRCA patients.

An integrative approach to uncover the components, mechanisms, and functions of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions on male infertility

Male infertility is a major and growing health problem with an estimated global prevalence of 4.2%. The current therapy is limited by the unknown etiology of MI, emphasizing the critical requirement forward to a more efficient method or medication. Through thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been shown to be effective in treating MI effectively. However, the components, mechanisms and functions of TCM prescriptions on MI are still obscure, severely limiting its clinical application. In order to discover the molecular mechanism of TCM against MI, our study presents a comprehensive approach integrated data mining, network pharmacology, molecular docking, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, and experimental validation. Here, we begin to acquire 289 clinical TCM prescriptions for MI from a TCM hospital's outpatient department. Then, Core Chinese Materia Medica (CCMM) was then retrieved from the TCM Inheritance Support System (TCMISS), which was utilized to discover the underlying rules and connections in clinical prescriptions. After that, 98 CCMM components and 816 MI targets were obtained from ten distinct databases. Additionally, the network pharmacology methods, including network construction, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment, PPI analysis, were utilized to reveal that kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and beta-sitosterol are the core components of CCMM in treating MI. The mechanisms and functions of CCMM against MI are hormone regulation, anti-apoptosis, anti-oxidant stress, and anti-inflammatory. Furthermore, the strong connections between four core components and six key targets were verified using a molecular docking method. Following that, the core components of the CCMM extract were identified using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that CCMM and four core components could improve the density, motility, viability of sperm, lecithin corpuscle density, decrease the rate of sperm malformation and testis tissue damage, and regulate the protein expressions of AKT1, MAPK3/1, EGFR, and TNF-α in a mouse model of MI. UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS analysis and in vivo experiments further validated the results of data mining, network pharmacology, and molecular docking. Our study could uncover the components, mechanisms, and functions of TCM prescriptions against MI and develop a new integrative approach to demonstrate TCM's multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway approach to disease treatment.

Drug repurposing: re-inventing therapies for cancer without re-entering the development pipeline—a review

While majority of the current treatment approaches for cancer remain expensive and are associated with several side effects, development of new treatment modalities takes a significant period of research, time, and expenditure. An alternative novel approach is drug repurposing that focuses on finding new applications for the previously clinically approved drugs. The process of drug repurposing has also been facilitated by current advances in the field of proteomics, genomics, and information computational biology. This approach not only provides cheaper, effective, and potentially safer drugs with less side effects but also increases the processing pace of drug development. In this review, we wish to highlight some recent developments in the area of drug repurposing in cancer with a specific focus on the repurposing potential of anti-psychotic, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral drugs, anti-diabetic, antibacterial, and anti-fungal drugs.

In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Helicobacter pylori Induces the Secretion of Soluble and Exosomal Cytokines Related to Carcinogenesis

Helicobacter pylori promotes the secretion of cytokines that regulate inflammation and carcinogenesis. Immune cells secrete cytokines into the extracellular medium or packaged in exosomes. The objective of this study was to analyze the profile of soluble and exosomal cytokines that were secreted by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) that were infected with H. pylori and to build a network of interaction between cytokines and cellular proteins. PBMCs were obtained by density gradient centrifugation and infected with H. pylori for 24 h. The infection was verified by immunofluorescence and Western blot for CagA. The exosomes were obtained from culture supernatant by ultracentrifugation and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, particle size analysis, and Western blot for CD9 and CD81. Cytokines were quantified using a multiplex immunoassay in the culture supernatant, intact exosomes, and lysed exosomes. H. pylori adheres to lymphocytes and translocates CagA. In PBMCs, H. pylori induces an increase in the soluble and exosomal IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-22. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network shows that soluble and exosomal cytokines interact with proteins that participate in signaling pathways such as NF-κB, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, Jak-STAT, FoxO, and mTOR, that are related to carcinogenesis; moreover, TNF-α had the highest number of interactions. Cytokine-loaded exosomes represent another means of intercellular communication that is activated by H. pylori to stimulate inflammation, carcinogenesis, or cancer progression. Cytokine-loaded exosomes are likely to be associated with extragastrointestinal diseases of inflammatory origin.

A Novel Enolase-1 Antibody Targets Multiple Interacting Players in the Tumor Microenvironment of Advanced Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death in men worldwide, and the treatment options are limited for patients with advanced stages of prostate cancer. Upon oncogenic or inflammatory stimulation, tumor cells or immune cells express cell surface enolase-1 (ENO1) as plasminogen receptor to facilitate their migration via plasmin activation. Little is known about the roles of ENO1 in prostate cancer, especially in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We hypothesized that targeting surface ENO1 with specific mAbs would exert multifactorial therapeutic potentials against prostate cancer. In vivo, we showed ENO1 mAb (HuL227) reduced the growth of subcutaneous PC-3 xenograft, monocytes recruitment, and intratumoral angiogenesis. In a PC-3 intratibial implantation model, HuL227 reduced tumor growth and osteoclast activation in the bone. To investigate the antitumor mechanism of ENO1 mAb, we found that blocking surface ENO1 significantly reduced VEGF-A-induced tube formation of endothelial cells in vitro. Furthermore, HuL227 inhibited inflammation-enhanced osteoclasts activity and the secretion of invasion-related cytokines CCL2 and TGFβ from osteoclasts. In addition, inflammation-induced migration and chemotaxis of androgen-independent prostate cancer cells were dose-dependently inhibited by HuL227. In summary, we showed that, ENO1 mAb targets multiple TME niches involved in prostate cancer progression and bone metastasis via a plasmin-related mechanism, which may provide a novel immunotherapy approach for men with advanced prostate cancer.

The Role of Inflammatory Mediators in Colorectal Cancer Hepatic Metastasis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of death in cancer patients in the USA, whereas the major cause of CRC deaths is hepatic metastases. The liver is the most common site of metastasis in patients with CRC due to hepatic portal veins receiving blood from the digestive tract. Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of hepatic metastases is of dire need for the development of potent targeted therapeutics. Immuno-signaling molecules including cytokines and chemokines play a pivotal role in hepatic metastases from CRC. This brief review discusses the involvement of three representative cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β), a lipid molecule PGE2 and two chemokines (CXCL1 and CXCL2) in the process of CRC liver metastases.

Regulation of mi-RNAs Target Cancer Genes Between Exercise and Non-exercise in Rat Rheumatoid Arthritis Induction: Pilot Study

Introduction:

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with various cancers. Many studies have investigated physical exercise interventions as health improvements to ameliorate the risk of cancer during rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis. Recently, microRNAs were used as biomarkers for health assessment and cancer prediction in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Methods:

The effects of exercise interventions on serum microRNAs were investigated in pristane-induced arthritis (PIA) rat models. Twelve Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 4 groups including non-exercise without PIA (N-EX), non-exercise with PIA (N-EX + PIA), exercise without PIA (EX) and exercise with PIA (EX + PIA). Blood samples were collected at the end of the study period to analyze miRNA biomarkers and target cancer gene predictions.

Results:

Four significant Rattus norvegicus (rno-microRNAs) may purpose as tumor suppressors were identified as potential target cancer gene candidate expressions within the 4 comparative interventional exercise groups. One rno-microRNA and target cancer gene candidate was up-regulated and 3 rno-microRNAs and their target cancer genes were down-regulated.

Conclusions:

Exercise interventions affected rno-miRNAs regulated target cancer gene candidates ITPR3, SOCS6, ITGA6, and NKX2-1 as biomarkers for cancer prognosis in rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis.

A Newly Synthesized Derivative and a Natural Parent Molecule: Which Would Be More Beneficial as a Future Antitumor Candidate? Docking and In Vivo Study

Seeking for new effectual anticancer drugs is of great importance. In this study, a newly synthesized and well-characterized chromene derivative (ethyl 2-amino-4-phenyl-4H-benzo(h)chromene-3-carboxylate) "C" was prepared. Molecular docking studies were done. The new compound "C" in compare to the natural parent Quercetin "Q," as a well-known natural chromene derivative with antioxidant and antitumor activities, were tested for their antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC)-bearing mice. Both reduced ascites volume, decreased viable EAC cells, and prolonged EAC-bearing mice life span. They normalized troponin, creatine kinase-MB, lactate dehydrogenase, and urea levels, reversed liver enzyme activities towards normal, and increased antioxidant levels while reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels. Compared to each other, the new synthetic derivative "C" showed stronger antineoplastic effects than the natural parent "Q" may via the anti-inflammatory activities. Therefore, the newly synthesized chromene derivative is more promising as a future antitumor candidate than the natural parent molecule "Quercetin." Finally, our results encourage researchers to pay more attention to developing more novel natural-based derivatives that would be more beneficial as future therapeutics than their natural parents.

Digesting the Role of JAK-STAT and Cytokine Signaling in Oral and Gastric Cancers

When small proteins such as cytokines bind to their associated receptors on the plasma membrane, they can activate multiple internal signaling cascades allowing information from one cell to affect another. Frequently the signaling cascade leads to a change in gene expression that can affect cell functions such as proliferation, differentiation and homeostasis. The Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) and the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) are the pivotal mechanisms employed for such communication. When deregulated, the JAK-STAT and the TNF receptor signaling pathways can induce chronic inflammatory phenotypes by promoting more cytokine production. Furthermore, these signaling pathways can promote replication, survival and metastasis of cancer cells. This review will summarize the essentials of the JAK/STAT and TNF signaling pathways and their regulation and the molecular mechanisms that lead to the dysregulation of the JAK-STAT pathway. The consequences of dysregulation, as ascertained from founding work in haematopoietic malignancies to more recent research in solid oral-gastrointestinal cancers, will also be discussed. Finally, this review will highlight the development and future of therapeutic applications which modulate the JAK-STAT or the TNF signaling pathways in cancers.

Silencing VDAC1 to Treat Mesothelioma Cancer: Tumor Reprograming and Altering Tumor Hallmarks

Mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer with a poor prognosis, is linked to asbestos exposure. However, carbon nanotubes found in materials we are exposed to daily can cause mesothelioma cancer. Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to support increased biosynthetic and energy demands required for their growth and motility. Here, we examined the effects of silencing the expression of the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), controlling the metabolic and energetic crosstalk between mitochondria and the rest of the cell. We demonstrate that VDAC1 is overexpressed in mesothelioma patients; its levels increase with disease stage and are associated with low survival rates. Silencing VDAC1 expression using a specific siRNA identifying both mouse and human VDAC1 (si-m/hVDAC1-B) inhibits cell proliferation of mesothelioma cancer cells. Treatment of xenografts of human-derived H226 cells or mouse-derived AB1 cells with si-m/hVDAC1-B inhibited tumor growth and caused metabolism reprogramming, as reflected in the decreased expression of metabolism-related proteins, including glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid (-)cycle enzymes and the ATP-synthesizing enzyme. In addition, tumors depleted of VDAC1 showed altered microenvironments and inflammation, both associated with cancer progression. Finally, tumor VDAC1 silencing also eliminated cancer stem cells and induced cell differentiation to normal-like cells. The results show that silencing VDAC1 expression leads to reprogrammed metabolism and to multiple effects from tumor growth inhibition to modulation of the tumor microenvironment and inflammation, inducing differentiation of malignant cells. Thus, silencing VDAC1 is a potential therapeutic approach to treating mesothelioma.

Saga of monokines in shaping tumour-immune microenvironment: Origin to execution

Cellular communication mediated by cytokines is an important mechanism dictating immune responses, their cross talk and final immune output. Cytokines play a major role in dictating the immune outcome to cancer by regulating the events of development, differentiation and activation of innate immune cells. Cytokines are pleiotropic in nature, hence understanding their role individually or as member of network cytokines is critical to delineate their role in tumour immunity. Tumour systemically manipulates the immune system to evade and escape immune recognition for their uncontrollable growth and metastasis. The developing tumour comprise a large and diverse set of myeloid cells which are vulnerable to manipulation by the tumour-microenvironment. The innate immune cells of the monocytic lineage skew the fate of the adaptive immune cells and thus dictating cancer elimination or progression. Targeting cells at tumour cite is preposterous owing to their tight network, poor reach and abundance of immunosuppressive mechanisms. Monocytic lineage-derived cytokines (monokines) play crucial role in tumour regression or progression by either directly killing the tumour cells with TNFα or promoting its growth by TGFβ. In addition, the monokines like IL-12, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TGFβ direct the adaptive immune cells to secrete anti-tumour cytokines, TNFα, IFNγ, perforin and granzyme or pro-tumour cytokines, IL-10 and TGFβ. In this review, we elucidate the roles of monokines in dictating the fate of tumour by regulating responses at various stages of generation, differentiation and activation of immune cells along with the extensive cross talk. We have attempted to delineate the synergy and antagonism of major monokines among themselves or with tumour-derived or adaptive immune cytokines. The review provides an update on the possibilities of placing monokines to potential practical use as cytokine therapy against cancer.

Microglial Inflammatory-Metabolic Pathways and Their Potential Therapeutic Implication in Major Depressive Disorder

Increasing evidence supports the notion that neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the etiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), at least in a subset of patients. By virtue of their capacity to transform into reactive states in response to inflammatory insults, microglia, the brain's resident immune cells, play a pivotal role in the induction of neuroinflammation. Experimental studies have demonstrated the ability of microglia to recognize pathogens or damaged cells, leading to the activation of a cytotoxic response that exacerbates damage to brain cells. However, microglia display a wide range of responses to injury and may also promote resolution stages of inflammation and tissue regeneration. MDD has been associated with chronic priming of microglia. Recent studies suggest that altered microglial morphology and function, caused either by intense inflammatory activation or by senescence, may contribute to depression and associated impairments in neuroplasticity. In this context, modifying microglia phenotype by tuning inflammatory pathways might have important translational relevance to harness neuroinflammation in MDD. Interestingly, it was recently shown that different microglial phenotypes are associated with distinct metabolic pathways and analysis of the underlying molecular mechanisms points to an instrumental role for energy metabolism in shaping microglial functions. Here, we review various canonical pro-inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and metabolic pathways in microglia that may provide new therapeutic opportunities to control neuroinflammation in brain disorders, with a strong focus on MDD.

Identification and Characterization of Tunneling Nanotubes Involved in Human Mast Cell FcεRI-Mediated Apoptosis of Cancer Cells

Simple Summary

Mast cells (MCs) are ubiquitously found in most tissues and in and around tumors. Their role in cancer pathogenesis remains an open area of investigation, and their interactions with tumor cells has not been explored. Here, a novel mechanism of communication between human MCs and tumor cells involving tunneling nanotubes (TnT) and other membrane structures is described. The formation of these communication structures is dependent on MC receptors interacting with tumor antigens through tumor-specific immunoglobulins and results in tumor-killing mediators from MC entering the tumor cells. This mechanism underlying the MC killing of tumor cells has important implications in understanding cancer pathogenesis.

Abstract

Mast cells (MCs) are found in practically all tissues where they participate in innate and adaptive immune responses. They are also found in and around tumors, yet their interactions with cancer cells and the resulting impact on cancer cell growth and metastasis are not well understood. In this study, we examined a novel mechanism of IgE-FcεRI-mediated, intercellular communication between human adipose-derived mast cells (ADMC) and cancer cells. The formation of heterotypic tunneling nanotubes (TnT) and membrane structures between MCs and tumor cells in vitro was examined using microscopy and a diverse array of molecule-specific indicator dyes. We show that several MC-specific structures are dependent on the specific interactions between human tumor IgE-sensitized MCs and antigens on the tumor cell surface. The formation of TnT, membrane blebs and other MC-specific structures paralleled FcεRI-degranulation occurring within 30 min and persisting for up to 24 h. The TnT-specific adhesion of FcεRI-activated MCs to tumor cells was characterized by the transport of the MC granule content into the tumor cells, including tryptase and TNF-α. This interaction led to apoptosis of the tumor cells, which differs from previous studies examining tissue cells within the cancer microenvironment. The formation of heterotypic TnT results in stimulation of an invasive tumor cell phenotype and increased tumor cell invasion and chemoresistance of the cancer cells. These studies describe a heretofore-unrecognized mechanism underlying IgE-mediated interactions and FcεRI-activated MC-mediated killing of tumor cells through the formation of TnT.

Targeting tumor-associated macrophages for cancer immunotherapy

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are one of the most abundant immune components in the tumor microenvironment and play a plethora of roles in regulating tumorigenesis. Therefore, the therapeutic targeting of TAMs has emerged as a new paradigm for immunotherapy of cancer. Herein, the review summarizes the origin, polarization, and function of TAMs in the progression of malignant diseases. The understanding of such knowledge leads to several distinct therapeutic strategies to manipulate TAMs to battle cancer, which include those to reduce TAM abundance, such as depleting TAMs or inhibiting their recruitment and differentiation, and those to harness or boost the anti-tumor activities of TAMs such as blocking phagocytosis checkpoints, inducing antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis, and reprogramming TAM polarization. In addition, modulation of TAMs may reshape the tumor microenvironment and therefore synergize with other cancer therapeutics. Therefore, the rational combination of TAM-targeting therapeutics with conventional therapies including radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and other immunotherapies is also reviewed. Overall, targeting TAMs presents itself as a promising strategy to add to the growing repertoire of treatment approaches in the fight against cancer, and it is hopeful that these approaches currently being pioneered will serve to vastly improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

ANKRD13a controls early cell-death checkpoint by interacting with RIP1 independent of NF-κB

In TNF signaling, ubiquitination of RIP1 functions as an early cell-death checkpoint, which prevents the spatial transition of the signaling complex from complex-I to death-inducing complex-II. Here, we report that ankyrin repeat domain 13a (ANKRD13a) acts as a novel component of complex-II to set a higher signal threshold for the cytotoxic potential of TNF. ANKRD13a deficiency is sufficient to turn the response to TNF from survival to death by promoting the formation of complex-II without affecting NF-κB activation. ANKRD13a binds to ubiquitinated-RIP1 via its UIM, and subsequently limits the association of FADD and caspase-8 with RIP1. Moreover, high ANKRD13a expression is inversely correlated with apoptotic phenotypes in ovarian cancer tissues and is associated with poor prognosis. Our work identifies ANKRD13a as a novel gatekeeper of the early cell-death checkpoint, which may function as part of an escape mechanism from cell death in some cancers.

Effect of Sleep Surgery on Inflammatory Cytokines in Adult Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether sleep surgery is associated with inflammatory cytokine changes. This study hypothesizes cytokines may change after surgery in adult obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

The study protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42020154425). Two authors independently searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane review databases from their inception to June 2021. The keywords used were sleep apnea, inflammatory markers, cytokines, and surgery. The effects of sleep surgery on the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and inflammatory cytokines were evaluated using a random-effects model. Both mean difference (MD) and standardized mean difference (SMD) of the changes in cytokines were calculated.

RESULTS

Nine studies with 235 adults were included (mean age: 43 years; 82% were men). After sleep surgery, AHI significantly reduced by -11.3 events/h (95% confidence interval [CI], -15.8 to -6.9). In total, 8 and 6 studies were pooled for examining tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, respectively. Sleep surgery significantly reduced TNF-α levels, with an MD of -2.8 pg/ml (95% CI, -5.1 to -0.6) and an SMD of -0.56 (95% CI, -0.85 to -0.27). Furthermore, sleep surgery reduced IL-6 levels, with an MD of -0.6 pg/ml (95% CI, -1.0 to -0.2) and an SMD of -0.66 (95% CI, -0.89 to -0.43). No covariates were identified to be correlated with cytokine changes in subgroup and meta-regression analyses. Funnel plots showed possible publication bias in current data.

CONCLUSIONS

In adults, OSA treatment with sleep surgery improves inflammatory cytokines. Laryngoscope, 2022.

Enhanced Anti-Cancer Effects of Conditioned Medium from Hypoxic Human Adult Dermal Fibroblasts on Cervical Cancer Cells

Hypoxia regulates fibroblast function by changing intracellular signaling and secretion factors, that influence the states of nearby cells. In this work, we investigated how medium (CM) from human adult dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) cultured in normoxic and hypoxic conditions affected cervical cancer (HeLa) cells. The HeLa cells showed decreased cell viability, increased apoptosis, and cell cycle arrest in response to CM from hypoxic-cultured HDFs (H-CM) compared with CM from normoxic-cultured HDFs (N-CM). Among the proteins up-regulated (>2-fold) in H-CM compared with N-CM, lymphotoxin-beta receptor (LTBR) decreased the viability of HeLa cells. Among the intracellular proteins down-regulated (>2-fold) in HeLa cells treated with H-CM compared with N-CM, the most enriched biological process GO term and KEGG pathway were protein deubiquitination and hsa05166:HTLV-I infection, respectively. In the protein−protein interaction network of intracellular proteins with altered expression (>2-fold), 1 up-regulated (TNF) and 8 down-regulated (ESR1, MCL1, TBP, CD19, LCK, PCNA, CHEK1, and POLA1) hub proteins were defined. Among the down-regulated hub proteins, the most enriched biological process GO term and KEGG pathway were leading strand elongation and hsa05166:HTLV-I infection, respectively. This study reveals that H-CM had stronger anti-cancer effects on cervical cancer cells than N-CM and induced intracellular signaling patterns related to those enhanced anti-cancer effects.

TNF blockade enhances the efficacy of myxoma virus-based oncolytic virotherapy

BACKGROUND

Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) represents a method to treat a variety of solid tumors by inducing antitumor immune responses. While this therapy has been extremely efficacious in preclinical models, translating these successes into human patients has proven challenging. One of the major reasons for these failures is the existence of immune-regulatory mechanisms, which dampen the efficacy of virally induced antitumor immunity. Unfortunately, the full extent of these immune-regulatory pathways remains unclear.

METHODS

To address this issue, we generated a doubly recombinant, oncolytic myxoma virus which expresses both a soluble fragment of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) and an interleukin 12 (IL-12) fusion protein (vPD1/IL-12 (virus-expressing PD1 and IL-12)). We then tested the molecular impact and therapeutic efficacy of this construct in multiple models of disseminated disease to identify novel pathways, which are associated with poor therapeutic outcomes.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrate that vPD1/IL-12 causes robust inflammation during therapy including inducing high levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Surprisingly, although expression of TNF has generally been assumed to be beneficial to OV, the presence of this TNF appears to inhibit therapeutic efficacy by reducing intratumoral T-cell viability. Likely because of this, disruption of the TNF pathway, either through genetic knockout or antibody-based blockade, significantly enhances the overall outcomes of vPD1/IL-12-based therapy that allows for the generation of complete cures in normally non-responsive models.

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that some aspects of OV-induced inflammation might represent a double-edged sword during therapy and that specific blockade of TNF might enhance the efficacy of these treatments.

A comprehensive meta-analysis of non-coding polymorphisms associated with precancerous lesions and cervical cancer

OBJECTIVES

To study the risk of polymorphisms present in the non-coding regions of genes related with cervical cancer.

METHODS

The PubMed database was extensively searched using text-mining techniques to identify literature containing the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms and cervical cancer. Case-control studies published till June 2020 were considered for the meta-analysis if they fulfilled the selection criteria. The polymorphisms within each case-control study were checked for the presence of genotype data and then divided into groups based on the precancerous and cancerous conditions of the cervix. Odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to study the effects of polymorphisms with the help of different genetic models (allele, dominant, recessive, heterozygous and homozygous). Also checked heterogeneity along with publication bias and statistical significance using the p-value.

RESULTS

120 papers covering 48 unique non-coding SNPs having 37,123 cases and 39,641 control data was considered for the meta-analysis. The genotype data was categorised into Cancer, Precancer and "Cancer + Precancer" groups, for 43, 8 and 11 SNPs respectively. The meta-analysis identified 21 and 1 SNPs as significant in the Cancer and "Cancer + Precancer" groups. Among all the polymorphisms, rs1143627 (IL1B), rs1800795 (IL6), rs1800871 (IL10), rs568408 (IL12A), rs3312227 (IL12B), rs2275913 (IL17A), rs5742909 (CTLA4), rs1800629 (TNFα), and rs4646903 (CYP1A1) were found to increase risk of cervical cancer in at least three of the five genetic models.

CONCLUSION

We identified potential non-coding SNPs corresponding to various cytokines like interleukins (ILs), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferon (IFN) and other immune related genes like toll like receptor (TLR), cytotoxic T-lymphocyte associated protein (CTLA) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), as significant with increased pooled OR in this meta-analysis pointing to risk association of the immune-related genes in cervical carcinogenesis.

Human Tumor Targeted Cytotoxic Mast Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy

The diversity of autologous cells being used and investigated for cancer therapy continues to increase. Mast cells (MCs) are tissue cells that contain a unique set of anti-cancer mediators and are found in and around tumors. We sought to exploit the anti-tumor mediators in MC granules to selectively target them to tumor cells using tumor specific immunoglobin E (IgE) and controllably trigger release of anti-tumor mediators upon tumor cell engagement. We used a human HER2/neu-specific IgE to arm human MCs through the high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI). The ability of MCs to bind to and induce apoptosis of HER2/neu-positive cancer cells in vitro and in vivo was assessed. The interactions between MCs and cancer cells were investigated in real time using confocal microscopy. The mechanism of action using cytotoxic MCs was examined using gene array profiling. Genetically manipulating autologous MC to assess the effects of MC-specific mediators have on apoptosis of tumor cells was developed using siRNA. We found that HER2/neu tumor-specific IgE-sensitized MCs bound, penetrated, and killed HER2/neu-positive tumor masses in vitro. Tunneling nanotubes formed between MCs and tumor cells are described that parallel tumor cell apoptosis. In solid tumor, human breast cancer (BC) xenograft mouse models, infusion of HER2/neu IgE-sensitized human MCs co-localized to BC cells, decreased tumor burden, and prolonged overall survival without indications of toxicity. Gene microarray of tumor cells suggests a dependence on TNF and TGFβ signaling pathways leading to apoptosis. Knocking down MC-released tryptase did not affect apoptosis of cancer cells. These studies suggest MCs can be polarized from Type I hypersensitivity-mediating cells to cytotoxic cells that selectively target tumor cells and specifically triggered to release anti-tumor mediators. A strategy to investigate which MC mediators are responsible for the observed tumor killing is described so that rational decisions can be made in the future when selecting which mediators to target for deletion or those that could further polarize them to cytotoxic MC by adding other known anti-tumor agents. Using autologous human MC may provide further options for cancer therapeutics that offers a unique anti-cancer mechanism of action using tumor targeted IgE’s.

Cathepsin K activity controls cachexia-induced muscle atrophy via the modulation of IRS1 ubiquitination

BACKGROUND

Cachexia is a complicated metabolic disorder that is characterize by progressive atrophy of skeletal muscle. Cathepsin K (CTSK) is a widely expressed cysteine protease that has garnered attention because of its enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions in signalling in various pathological conditions. Here, we examined whether CTSK participates in cancer-induced skeletal muscle loss and dysfunction, focusing on protein metabolic imbalance.

METHODS

Male 9-week-old wild-type (CTSK^+/+ , n = 10) and CTSK-knockout (CTSK^-/- , n = 10) mice were injected subcutaneously with Lewis lung carcinoma cells (LLC; 5 × 10⁵ ) or saline, respectively. The mice were then subjected to muscle mass and muscle function measurements. HE staining, immunostaining, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and western blotting were used to explore the CTSK expression and IRS1/Akt pathway in the gastrocnemius muscle at various time points. In vitro measurements included CTSK expression, IRS1/Akt pathway-related target molecule expressions, and the diameter of C2C12 myotubes with or without LLC-conditioned medium (LCM). An IRS1 ubiquitin assay, and truncation, co-immunoprecipitation, and co-localization experiments were also performed.

RESULTS

CTSK^+/+ cachectic animals exhibited loss of skeletal muscle mass (muscle weight loss of 15%, n = 10, P < 0.01), muscle dysfunction (grip strength loss > 15%, n = 10, P < 0.01), and fibre area (average area reduction > 30%, n = 5, P < 0.01). Compared with that of non-cachectic CTSK^+/+ mice, the skeletal muscle of cachectic CTSK^+/+ mice exhibited greater degradation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1, P < 0.01). In this setting, cachectic muscles exhibited decreases in the phosphorylation levels of protein kinase B (Akt³⁰⁸ , P < 0.01; Akt⁴⁷³ , P < 0.05) and anabolic-related proteins (the mammalian target of rapamycin, P < 0.01) and increased levels of catabolism-related proteins (muscle RING-finger protein-1, P < 0.01; MAFbx1, P < 0.01) in CTSK^+/+ mice (n = 3). Although there was no difference in LLC tumour growth (n = 10, P = 0.44), CTSK deletion mitigated the IRS1 degradation, loss of the skeletal muscle mass (n = 10, P < 0.01), and dysfunction (n = 10, P < 0.01). In vitro, CTSK silencing prevented the IRS1 ubiquitination and loss of the myotube myosin heavy chain content (P < 0.01) induced by LCM, and these changes were accelerated by CTSK overexpression even without LCM. Immunoprecipitation showed that CTSK selectively acted on IRS1 in the region of amino acids 268 to 574. The results of co-transfection of IRS1-N-FLAG or IRS1-C-FLAG with CTSK suggested that CTSK selectively cleaves IRS1 and causes ubiquitination-related degradation of IRS1.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that CTSK plays a novel role in IRS1 ubiquitination in LLC-induced muscle wasting, and suggest that CTSK could be an effective therapeutic target for cancer-related cachexia.

Immunomodulatory role of thrombin in cancer progression

Coagulation proteases and the generation of thrombin are increased in tumors. In addition, chemotherapeutic agents commonly used to treat malignant cancers can exacerbate cancer-associated thromboses. Thrombin can modify tumor cell behavior directly through the activation of protease-activated receptors (PAR) or indirectly by generating fibrin matrices. In addition to its role in generating fibrin to promote hemostasis, thrombin acts directly on multiple effector cells of the immune system impacting both acute and chronic inflammatory processes. Thrombin-mediated release of interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 leads to the accumulation of multiple tumor-infiltrating immunosuppressive cell populations including myeloid derived suppresser cells, M2-like macrophages, and T regulatory cells. Ablation of PAR-1 from the tumor microenvironment, but not the tumor, has been shown to dramatically reduce tumor growth and metastasis in multiple tumor models. Thrombin-activated platelets release immunosuppressive cytokines including transforming growth factor-β that can inhibit natural killer cell activity, helping tumor cells to evade host immunosurveillance. Taken together, there is strong evidence that thrombin influences cancer progression via multiple mechanisms, including the tumor immune response, with thrombin emerging as a target for novel therapeutic strategies for cancer.

Prometastatic Effect of ATX Derived from Alveolar Type II Pneumocytes and B16-F10 Melanoma Cells

Although metastases are the principal cause of cancer-related deaths, the molecular aspects of the role of stromal cells in the establishment of the metastatic niche remain poorly understood. One of the most prevalent sites for cancer metastasis is the lungs. According to recent research, lung stromal cells such as bronchial epithelial cells and resident macrophages secrete autotaxin (ATX), an enzyme with lysophospholipase D activity that promotes cancer progression. In fact, several studies have shown that many cell types in the lung stroma could provide a rich source of ATX in diseases. In the present study, we sought to determine whether ATX derived from alveolar type II epithelial (ATII) pneumocytes could modulate the progression of lung metastasis, which has not been evaluated previously. To accomplish this, we used the B16-F10 syngeneic melanoma model, which readily metastasizes to the lungs when injected intravenously. Because B16-F10 cells express high levels of ATX, we used the CRISPR-Cas9 technology to knock out the ATX gene in B16-F10 cells, eliminating the contribution of tumor-derived ATX in lung metastasis. Next, we used the inducible Cre/loxP system (Sftpc-CreERT2/Enpp2fl/fl) to generate conditional knockout (KO) mice in which ATX is specifically deleted in ATII cells (i.e., Sftpc-KO). Injection of ATX-KO B16-F10 cells into Sftpc-KO or Sftpc-WT control littermates allowed us to investigate the specific contribution of ATII-derived ATX in lung metastasis. We found that targeted KO of ATX in ATII cells significantly reduced the metastatic burden of ATX-KO B16-F10 cells by 30% (unpaired t-test, p = 0.028) compared to Sftpc-WT control mice, suggesting that ATX derived from ATII cells could affect the metastatic progression. We detected upregulated levels of cytokines such as IFNγ (unpaired t-test, p < 0.0001) and TNFα (unpaired t-test, p = 0.0003), which could favor the increase in infiltrating CD8+ T cells observed in the tumor regions of Sftpc-KO mice. Taken together, our results highlight the contribution of host ATII cells as a stromal source of ATX in the progression of melanoma lung metastasis.

In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of a Cyclic LyP-1-Modified Nanosystem for Targeted Endostatin Delivery in a KYSE-30 Cell Xenograft Athymic Nude Mice Model

This work investigated the use of LyP-1 as a homing peptide for p32 receptor targeting on the surface of an endostatin (ENT)-loaded chitosan-grafted nanosystem intended for intracellular delivery of ENT and mitochondrial targeting in a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell line (KYSE-30) model. The angiogenic factors for VEGF-C and MMP2 were assessed with in vivo evaluation of the nanosystem upon ENT release and tumor necrosis in nude mice with a KYSE-30 cell xenograft. The LyP-1-modified nanosystem revealed a three-fold decrease in proliferation at 1000 µg/mL compared with the control and facilitated receptor-mediated cellular uptake and internalization. In addition, targeting of the Lyp-1-functionalized nanosystem to mitochondrial and nuclear proteins in vitro and in vivo was achieved. Up to 60% inhibition of KYSE-30 cell migration was observed and the expressions of VEGF-C and MMP-2 as angiogenic markers were reduced 3- and 2-fold, respectively. A marked reduction in tumor mass was recorded (43.25%) with the control, a 41.36% decrease with the nanoparticles and a 61.01% reduction with the LyP-1-modified nanosystem following treatment in mice. The LyP-1-functionalized nanosystem targeted tumor lymphatics, instigated nuclear rupture and mitochondrial distortion, and decreased cell proliferation and migration with inhibition of VEGF-C and MMP2 expression.

BCL2A1 regulates Canady Helios Cold Plasma-induced cell death in triple-negative breast cancer

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a poor prognosis and frequently relapses early compared with other subtypes. The Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) is a promising therapy for prognostically poor breast cancer such as TNBC. The Canady Helios Cold Plasma (CHCP) induces cell death in the TNBC cell line without thermal damage, however, the mechanism of cell death by CAP treatment is ambiguous and the mechanism of resistance to cell death in some subset of cells has not been addressed. We investigate the expression profile of 48 apoptotic and 35 oxidative gene markers after CHCP treatment in six different types of breast cancer cell lines including luminal A (ER+ PR+/-HER2-), luminal B (ER+PR+/-HER2+), (ER-PR-HER2+), basal-like: ER-PR-HER2- cells were tested with CHCP at different power settings and at 4 different incubation time. The expression levels of the gene markers were determined at 4 different intervals after the treatment. The protein expression of BCL2A1 was only induced after CHCP treatment in TNBC cell lines (p < 0.01), whereas the HER2-positive and ER, PR positive cell lines showed little or no expression of BCL2A1. The BCL2A1 and TNF-alpha expression levels showed a significant correlation within TNBC cell lines (p < 0.01). Silencing BCL2A1 mRNA by siRNA increased the potency of the CHCP treatment. A Combination of CHCP and CPI203, a BET bromodomain inhibitor, and a BCL2A1 antagonist increased the CHCP-induced cell death (p < 0.05). Our results revealed that BCL2A1 is a key gene for resistance during CHCP induced cell death. This resistance in TNBCs could be reversed with a combination of siRNA or BCL2A1 antagonist-CHCP therapy.

Malassezia in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Accomplice of Evoking Tumorigenesis

Accumulating evidence indicates that patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a significantly higher risk of developing different cancers, while the exact mechanism involved is not yet fully understood. Malassezia is a lipid-dependent opportunistic yeast, which colonizes on mammalian skin and internal organs. Also, dysbiosis in fungal communities accompanied by high level of Malassezia are fairly common in inflammatory diseases such as IBD and various cancers. In cancer patients, higher levels of Malassezia are associated with worse prognosis. Once it is ablated in tumor-bearing mice, their prognostic conditions will be improved. Moreover, Malassezia manifests multiple proinflammatory biological properties, such as destruction of epithelial barrier, enrichment of inflammatory factors, and degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM), all of which have been reported to contribute to tumor initiation and malignant progression. Based on these facts, we hypothesize that high levels of Malassezia together with mycobiome dysbiosis in patients with IBD, would aggravate the microecological imbalance, worsen the inflammatory response, and further promote tumorigenesis and deterioration. Herein, we will discuss the detrimental properties of Malassezia and explore the key role of this fungus in the correlation between IBD and cancer, in order to take early surveillance and intervention to minimize the cancer risk in individuals with IBD.

Prognostic Significance of Percentage Necrosis in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

The consensus conference of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP), held in 2012, made recommendations regarding prognostic parameters of renal tumors. There was a strong consensus that tumor morphotype, pathologic tumor stage, and tumor grade are prognostic indicators of poor outcome. It was also agreed upon that prognostic significance of tumor necrosis is in evolution, and both microscopic and macroscopic tumor necrosis should be documented in percentages. The aim of our study was to explore the impact of tumor necrosis on metastasis-free survival in clear cell renal carcinomas (ccRCCs) in Pakistani patients.

METHODS

We retrieved 318 consecutive in-house cases of ccRCC resections from 2014 to 2020 through hospital archives. Histologic slide review was done for assessment of tumor necrosis, tumor stage, and World Health Organization/ISUP grade. The follow-up data to assess metastasis-free survival were available in hospital archives.

RESULTS

In multivariable analysis performed by logistic regression model, tumor necrosis was an independent poor prognostic indicator (P = .0001): group 1 (reference group), 0% necrosis; group 2, 1% to 10% necrosis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 8.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.62-20.98); and group 3, more than 10% necrosis (AOR, 9.48; 95% CI, 3.99-22.725).

CONCLUSIONS

Tumor necrosis is an independent predictor of poor outcome in ccRCCs.

PAD-2-mediated citrullination of nucleophosmin provides an effective target for tumor immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

The enzymatic conversion of arginine to citrulline is involved in gene and protein regulation and in alerting the immune system to stressed cells, including tumor cells. Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a nuclear protein that plays key roles in cellular metabolism including ribosome biogenesis, mRNA processing and chromatin remodeling and is regulated by citrullination. In this study, we explored if the same citrullinated arginines within NPM are involved in gene regulation and immune activation.

METHODS

HLA-DP4 and HLA-DR4 transgenic mice were immunized with 22 citrullinated NPM overlapping peptides and immune responses to the peptides were assessed by ex vivo ELISpot assays. Antitumor immunity of NPM targeted vaccination was assessed by challenging transgenic mice with B16F1 HHDII/iDP4, B16F1 HHDII/PAD2KOcDP4, B16F1 HHDII and Lewis lung carcinoma cells/cDP4 cells subcutaneously. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from healthy donors were stimulated with NPM266-285cit peptides with/without CD45RO+memory cell depletion to assess if the responses in human were naïve or memory.

RESULTS

In contrast to NPM regulation, which is mediated by peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD4) citrullination of arginine at position 197, only citrullinated NPM266-285 peptide induced a citrulline-specific CD4 T cell response in transgenic mice models expressing human HLA-DP4 or HLA-DR4. Vaccinations with the NPM266-285cit peptide stimulated antitumor responses that resulted in dramatic tumor therapy, greatly improved survival, and protected against rechallenge without further vaccination. The antitumor response was lost if MHCII expression on the tumor cells was knocked out demonstrating direct presentation of the NPM266-285cit epitope in tumors. This antitumor response was lost in B16 tumors lacking PAD2 enzyme indicating NPM266cit is citrullinated by PAD2 in this model. Assessment of the T cell repertoire in healthy individuals and patients with lung cancer also showed CD4 T cells that respond to NPM266-285cit. The proliferative CD4 responses displayed a Th1 profile as they were accompanied with increased IFNγ and granzyme B expression. Depletion of CD45RO+ memory cells prior to stimulation suggested that responses originated from a naïve population in healthy donors.

CONCLUSION

This study indicates PAD2 can citrullinate the nuclear antigen NPM at position 277 which can be targeted by CD4 T cells for antitumor therapy. This is distinct from PAD4 citrullination of arginine 197 within NPM which results in its transport from the nucleoli to the nucleoplasm.

Reckoning apigenin and kaempferol as a potential multi-targeted inhibitor of EGFR/HER2-MEK pathway of metastatic colorectal cancer identified using rigorous computational workflow

In the past two decades, the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has been revolutionized as multiple cytotoxic, biological, and targeted drugs are being approved. Unfortunately, tumors treated with single targeted agents or therapeutics usually develop resistance. According to pathway-oriented screens, mCRC cells evade EGFR inhibition by HER2 amplification and/or activating Kras-MEK downstream signaling. Therefore, treating mCRC patients with dual EGFR/HER2 inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, or the combination of the two drugs envisaged to prevent the resistance development which eventually improves the overall survival rate. In the present study, we aimed to screen potential phytochemical lead compounds that could multi-target EGFR, HER2, and MEK1 (Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase) using a computer-aided drug design approach that includes molecular docking, endpoint binding free energy calculation using MM-GBSA, ADMET, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Docking studies revealed that, unlike all other ligands, apigenin and kaempferol exhibit the highest docking score against all three targets. Details of ADMET analysis, MM/GBSA, and MD simulations helped us to conclusively determine apigenin and kaempferol as potentially an inhibitor of EGFR, HER2, and MEK1 apigenin and kaempferol against mCRC at a systemic level. Additionally, both apigenin and kaempferol elicited antiangiogenic properties in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, these findings provide the rationale for drug development aimed at preventing CRC rather than intercepting resistance.

Amelioration of DMH-induced colon cancer by eupafolin through the reprogramming of apoptosis-associated p53/Bcl2/Bax signaling in rats

Introduction: Colorectal cancer is the third most common malignancy and the second most deadly cancer worldwide. In this present study, the effects of eupafolin on DMH-induced colon cancer in rats were assessed.

Methods: The acute and sub-acute oral toxicity study in the balb/c mice was performed to evaluate the LD50 dose and the chemotherapeutic doses of eupafolin. The colon cancer was induced in the animals through a single intraperitoneal injection (i.p) of 30 mg/kg of dimethylhydrazine followed by 2% DSS for 7 days in the drinking water in male Wistar rats. The rats were treated with eupafolin (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) through oral route for 18 weeks. The animals were sacrificed and colon tissues were subsequently investigated for aberrant crypt foci (ACF), in vivo antioxidant studies, histology and immunohistochemical analysis, and apoptosis by TUNNEL technique after 18 weeks of eupafolin therapy.

Results: The acute oral toxicity data represented the LD50 dose of eupafolin which was found to be 500 mg/kg body weight. Along with that, the sub-acute toxicity study suggested the chemotherapeutic doses of eupafolin, that is, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight. Eupafolin therapy inhibits ACF development in rat colon mucosa efficiently. Additionally, eupafolin has improved the colonic lesions and the structural integrity of the colonic mucosa. Eupafolin therapy causes anti-oxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione to increase as well. Increased levels of P53, BAX, and PCNA and a simultaneous decrease in Bcl2 and IL-6 expressions show eupafolin therapy successfully regulated these biological markers in colorectal cancer. Eupafolin also induced apoptosis efficiently in the rat colon mucous membrane.

Conclusion: These results show that eupafolin can improve colon cancer by modulating the p53, Bcl2, BAX, and IL-6 pathways in rats.

Anticancer Effects of New Ceramides Isolated from the Red Sea Red Algae Hypnea&nbsp;musciformis in a Model of Ehrlich Ascites Carcinoma: LC-HRMS Analysis Profile and Molecular Modeling

Different classes of phytochemicals were previously isolated from the Red Sea algae Hypnea&nbsp;musciformis as sterols, ketosteroids, fatty acids, and terpenoids. Herein, we report the isolation of three fatty acids-docosanoic acid 4, hexadecenoic acid 5, and alpha hydroxy octadecanoic acid 6-as well as three ceramides-A (1), B (2), and C (3)-with 9-methyl-sphinga-4,8-dienes and phytosphingosine bases. Additionally, different phytochemicals were determined using the liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-HRMS) technique. Ceramides A (1) and B (2) exhibited promising in vitro cytotoxic activity against the human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) cell line when compared with doxorubicin as a positive control. Further in vivo study and biochemical estimation in a mouse model of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) revealed that both ceramides A (1) and B (2) at doses of 1 and 2 mg/kg, respectively, significantly decreased the tumor size in mice inoculated with EAC cells. The higher dose (2 mg/kg) of ceramide B (2) particularly expressed the most pronounced decrease in serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor -B (VEGF-B) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) markers, as well as the expression levels of the growth factor midkine in tumor tissue relative to the EAC control group. The highest expression of apoptotic factors, p53, Bax, and caspase 3 was observed in the same group that received 2 mg/kg of ceramide B (2). Molecular docking simulations suggested that ceramides A (1) and B (2) could bind in the deep grove between the H2 helix and the Ser240-P250 loop of p53, preventing its interaction with MDM2 and leading to its accumulation. In conclusion, this study reports the cytotoxic, apoptotic, and antiangiogenic effects of ceramides isolated from the Red Sea algae Hypnea&nbsp;musciformis in an experimental model of EAC.

Assisted laparoscopic splenectomy: current concept for treatment of splenic hemangiosarcoma in dogs

BACKGROUND

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a common devastating malignant splenic tumor with high mortalities in dogs. Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) is safe and gold standard technique for diseases required splenectomy. However, LS operation is a sensitive approach, which requires a restricted control for the vascular sealing procedures.

AIMS

We modified the LS technique through the application of hemostatic clips assisted-LS as an improved approach for the treatment of splenic HSA.

METHODS

Twelve dogs were admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Zagazig University, Egypt for investigation of splenic HSA. Abdominal ultrasonography reveals the presence of large hypoechoic splenic masses with no further abnormalities within the peritoneal cavity. Thoracic radiographs, hematological assays, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and histopathological investigations were done.

RESULTS

Hemostatic clips assisted-LS showed no major intra or post-operative complications. Laboratory analysis revealed anemia with an increase in TNF-α. Significant increase in platelets count with a slight increase in TNF-α was detected post-operative.

CONCLUSION

Application of the improved hemostatic clips-assisted-LS is cost effective, with shorter operative time, feasible method for vessel sealing, as well as having few complications during the HAS treatment in dogs.

Cytokine Interaction With Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a highly aggressive cancer with poor outcomes under current treatment regimens. More recent findings suggest stroma elements, specifically cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), play a role in disease occurrence and progression. Cancer-associated fibroblasts are largely the product of converted fibroblasts, but a variety of other local cell types including epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and mesenchymal cells have also been shown to transform to CAFs under the correct conditions. Cancer-associated fibroblasts primarily function in the communication between the tumor microenvironment and cancer cells via cytokine and chemokine secretions that accentuate immunosuppression and cancer growth. Cancer-associated fibroblasts also pose issues for EC treatment by contributing to resistance of current chemotherapeutics like cisplatin. Targeting this cell type directly proves difficult given the heterogeneity between CAFs subpopulations, but emerging research provides hope that treatment is on the horizon. This review aims to unravel some of the complexities surrounding CAFs’ impact on EC growth and therapy.

OUP accepted manuscript

Adipose-derived stem or stromal cells (ASCs) possess promising potential in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their secretory activity, their multilineage differentiation potential, their easy harvest, and their rich yield compared to other stem cell sources. After the first identification of ASCs in humans in 2001, the knowledge of their cell biology and cell characteristics have advanced, and respective therapeutic options were determined. Nowadays, ASC-based therapies are on the verge of translation into clinical practice. However, conflicting evidence emerged in recent years about the safety profile of ASC applications as they may induce tumor progression and invasion. Numerous in-vitro and in-vivo studies demonstrate a potential pro-oncogenic effect of ASCs on various cancer entities. This raises questions about the safety profile of ASCs and their broad handling and administration. However, these findings spark controversy as in clinical studies ASC application did not elevate tumor incidence rates, and other experimental studies reported an inhibitory effect of ASCs on different cancer cell types. This comprehensive review aims at providing up-to-date information about ASCs and cancer cell interactions, and their potential carcinogenesis and tumor tropism. The extracellular signaling activity of ASCs, the interaction of ASCs with the tumor microenvironment, and 3 major organ systems (the breast, the skin, and genitourinary system) will be presented with regard to cancer formation and progression.

The effect of COVID-19 derived cytokine storm on cancer cells progression: double-edged sword

OBJECTIVE

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV2) was first detected in Wuhan, China in December, 2019. The emerging virus causes a respiratory illness, that can trigger a cytokine storm in the body.

METHOD

Cytokine storm in patient's body is associated with severe forms of disease. It is one of the main complications of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), in which immune cells play a major role. Studies have shown immune cells in the tumor environment can be effective to induce resistance to chemotherapy in cancer patients.

RESULT

Therefore, considering the role of immune cells to induce cytokine storm in COVID-19 patients, and their role to cause resistance to chemotherapy, they are effective on disease progression and creation of severe form of disease.

CONCLUSION

By examining the signaling pathways and inducing resistance to chemotherapy in tumor cells and the cells affect them, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of severe forms of the disease in cancer patients with COVID-19; it is applicable using target therapy and other subsequent treatment strategies.

Obesity and Inflammation: Colorectal Cancer Engines

The prevalence of obesity continues to increase to the extent that it became a worldwide pandemic. An accumulating body of evidence has associated obesity with the development of different types of cancer, including colorectal cancer, which is a notorious disease with a high mortality rate. At the molecular level, colorectal cancer is a heterogenous disease characterized by a myriad of genetic and epigenetic alterations associated with various forms of genomic instability (detailed in Supplementary Materials). Recently, the microenvironment has emerged as a major factor in carcinogenesis. Our aim is to define the different molecular alterations leading to the development of colorectal cancer in obese patients with a focus on the role of the microenvironment in carcinogenesis. We also highlight all existent molecules in clinical trials that target the activated pathways in obesity-associated colorectal cancer, whether used as single treatments or in combination. Obesity predisposes to colorectal cancer via creating a state of chronic inflammation with dysregulated adipokines, inflammatory mediators, and other factors such as immune cell infiltration. A unifying theme in obesity-mediated colorectal cancer is the activation of the PI3K/AKT, mTOR/MAPK, and STAT3 signaling pathways. Different inhibitory molecules towards these pathways exist, increasing the therapeutic choice of obesity-associated colon cancer. However, obese patients are more likely to suffer from chemotherapy overdosing. Preventing obesity through maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle remains to be the best remedy.

A Molecular Analysis of Cytokine Content across Extracellular Vesicles, Secretions, and Intracellular Space from Different Site-Specific Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Cytokines are multifunctional small proteins that have a vital influence on inflammatory states of tissues and play a role in signalling and cellular control mechanisms. Cytokine expression has primarily been viewed as a form of direct secretion of molecules through an active transportation; however, other forms of active transport such as extracellular vesicles are at play. This is particularly important in stem cells where signalling molecules are key to communication managing the levels of proliferation, migration, and differentiation into mature cells. This study investigated cytokines from intracellular content, direct cellular secretions, and extracellular vesicles from adult adipose-derived stem cells isolated from three distinct anatomical locations: abdomen, thigh, and chin. The cells were cultured investigated using live cell microscopy, cytokine assays, and bioinformatics analysis. The cytokines quantified and examined from each sample type showed a distinct difference between niche areas and sample types. The varying levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-8 cytokines were shown to play a crucial role in signalling pathways such as MAPK, ERK1/2 and JAK-STAT in cells. On the other hand, the chemotactic cytokines IL-1rn, Eotaxin, IP-10 and MCP-1 showed the most prominent changes across extracellular vesicles with roles in noncanonical signalling. By examining the local and tangential roles of cytokines in stem cells, their roles in signalling and in regenerative mechanisms may be further understood.