Etlingera pavieana extract attenuates TNF-α induced vascular adhesion molecule expression in human endothelial cells through NF-κB and Akt/JNK pathways

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1): From molecular functions to clinical applications in cancer investigation

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a versatile molecule that plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological processes, particularly in tumor development where its impact is bidirectional. On the one hand, it augments the immune response by promoting immune cell migration, infiltration, and the formation of immunological synapses, thus facilitating potent antitumor effects. Simultaneously, it contributes to tumor immune evasion and influences metastasis by mediating transendothelial migration (TEM), epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and epigenetic modification of tumor cells. Despite its significant potential, the full clinical utility of ICAM-1 has yet to be fully realized. In this review, we thoroughly examine recent advancements in understanding the role of ICAM-1 in tumor development, its relevance in predicting therapeutic efficacy and prognosis, as well as the progress in clinical translational research on anti-ICAM-1-based therapies, encompassing including monoclonal antibodies, immunotherapy, antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), and conventional treatments. By shedding light on these innovative strategies, we aim to underscore ICAM-1's significance as a valuable and multifaceted target for cancer treatment, igniting enthusiasm for further research and facilitating translation into clinical applications.

Angiogenesis-on-a-chip coupled with single-cell RNA sequencing reveals spatially differential activations of autophagy along angiogenic sprouts

Several functions of autophagy associated with proliferation, differentiation, and migration of endothelial cells have been reported. Due to lack of models recapitulating angiogenic sprouting, functional heterogeneity of autophagy in endothelial cells along angiogenic sprouts remains elusive. Here, we apply an angiogenesis-on-a-chip to reconstruct 3D sprouts with clear endpoints. We perform single-cell RNA sequencing of sprouting endothelial cells from our chip to reveal high activation of autophagy in two endothelial cell populations- proliferating endothelial cells in sprout basements and stalk-like endothelial cells near sprout endpoints- and further the reciprocal expression pattern of autophagy-related genes between stalk- and tip-like endothelial cells near sprout endpoints, implying an association of autophagy with tip-stalk cell specification. Our results suggest a model describing spatially differential roles of autophagy: quality control of proliferating endothelial cells in sprout basements for sprout elongation and tip-stalk cell specification near sprout endpoints, which may change strategies for developing autophagy-based anti-angiogenic therapeutics.

4-methoxycinnamyl p-coumarate reduces neuroinflammation by blocking NF-κB, MAPK, and Akt/GSK-3β pathways and enhancing Nrf2/HO-1 signaling cascade in microglial cells

The active compound, 4-methoxycinnamyl p-coumarate (MCC), derived from the rhizome of Etlingera pavieana (Pierre ex Gagnep) R.M.Sm., has been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects in several inflammatory models. However, its effects on microglial cells remain elusive. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the anti-neuroinflammatory activities of MCC and determine the potential mechanisms underlying its action on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced BV2 microglial cells. Our results revealed that MCC significantly reduced the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2, concomitantly inhibiting the expression levels of inducible NO synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA and proteins. Additionally, MCC effectively decreased the production of reactive oxygen species in LPS-induced BV2 microglial cells. MCC also attenuates the activation of NF-κB by suppressing the phosphorylation of IκBα and NF-κB p65 subunits and by blocking the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 subunits. Furthermore, MCC significantly reduced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β). In addition, MCC markedly increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) by upregulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. Collectively, our findings suggest that the anti-inflammatory activities of MCC could be attributed to its ability to suppress the activation of NF-κB, MAPK, and Akt/GSK-3β while enhancing that of Nrf2-mediated HO-1. Accordingly, MCC has promising therapeutic potential to treat neuroinflammation-related diseases.