A novel crosstalk between calcium/calmodulin kinases II and IV regulates cell proliferation in myeloid leukemia cells

Rat Sarcoma Virus Family Genes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Pathogenetic and Clinical Implications

Acute myeloid leukemias (AMLs) comprise a group of genetically heterogeneous hematological malignancies that result in the abnormal growth of leukemic cells and halt the maturation process of normal hematopoietic stem cells. Despite using molecular and cytogenetic risk classification to guide treatment decisions, most AML patients survive for less than five years. A deeper comprehension of the disease's biology and the use of new, targeted therapy approaches could potentially increase cure rates. RAS oncogene mutations are common in AML patients, being observed in about 15-20% of AML cases. Despite extensive efforts to find targeted therapy for RAS-mutated AMLs, no effective and tolerable RAS inhibitor has received approval for use against AMLs. The frequency of RAS mutations increases in the context of AMLs' chemoresistance; thus, novel anti-RAS strategies to overcome drug resistance and improve patients' therapy responses and overall survival are the need of the hour. In this article, we aim to update the current knowledge on the role of RAS mutations and anti-RAS strategies in AML treatments.

Harmonizome 3.0: integrated knowledge about genes and proteins from diverse multi-omics resources

By processing and abstracting diverse omics datasets into associations between genes and their attributes, the Harmonizome database enables researchers to explore and integrate knowledge about human genes from many central omics resources. Here, we introduce Harmonizome 3.0, a significant upgrade to the original Harmonizome database. The upgrade adds 26 datasets that contribute nearly 12 million associations between genes and various attribute types such as cells and tissues, diseases, and pathways. The upgrade has a dataset crossing feature to identify gene modules that are shared across datasets. To further explain significantly high gene set overlap between dataset pairs, a large language model (LLM) composes a paragraph that speculates about the reasons behind the high overlap. The upgrade also adds more data formats and visualization options. Datasets are downloadable as knowledge graph (KG) assertions and visualized with Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) plots. The KG assertions can be explored via a user interface that visualizes gene-attribute associations as ball-and-stick diagrams. Overall, Harmonizome 3.0 is a rich resource of processed omics datasets that are provided in several AI-ready formats. Harmonizome 3.0 is available at https://maayanlab.cloud/Harmonizome/.

PIEZO1 is essential for the survival and proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia cells

INTRODUCTION

Leukemogenesis is a complex process that interconnects tumoral cells with their microenvironment, but the effect of mechanosensing in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts is poorly known. PIEZO1 perceives and transmits the constraints of the environment to human cells by acting as a non-selective calcium channel, but very little is known about its role in leukemogenesis.

RESULTS

For the first time, we show that PIEZO1 is preferentially expressed in healthy hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in human hematopoiesis, and globally overexpressed in AML cells. In AML subtypes, PIEZO1 expression associates with favorable outcomes as better overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). If PIEZO1 is expressed and functional in THP1 leukemic myeloid cell line, its chemical activation doesn't impact the proliferation, differentiation, nor survival of cells. However, the downregulation of PIEZO1 expression dramatically reduces the proliferation and the survival of THP1 cells. We show that PIEZO1 knock-down blocks the cell cycle in G0/G1 phases of AML cells, impairs the DNA damage response pathways, and critically increases cell death by triggering extrinsic apoptosis pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether, our results reveal a new role for PIEZO1 mechanosensing in the survival and proliferation of leukemic blasts, which could pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to target AML cells.

Constitutively active CaMKII Drives B lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma in tp53 mutant zebrafish

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer and is a malignancy of T or B lineage lymphoblasts. Dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ levels has been observed in patients with ALL, leading to improper activation of downstream signaling. Here we describe a new zebrafish model of B ALL, generated by expressing human constitutively active CaMKII (CA-CaMKII) in tp53 mutant lymphocytes. In this model, B cell hyperplasia in the kidney marrow and spleen progresses to overt leukemia/lymphoma, with only 29% of zebrafish surviving the first year of life. Leukemic fish have reduced productive genomic VDJ recombination in addition to reduced expression and improper splicing of ikaros1, a gene often deleted or mutated in patients with B ALL. Inhibiting CaMKII in human pre-B ALL cells induced cell death, further supporting a role for CaMKII in leukemogenesis. This research provides novel insight into the role of Ca2+-directed signaling in lymphoid malignancy and will be useful in understanding disease development and progression.

Cell-intrinsic factors governing quiescence vis-à-vis activation of adult hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoiesis is a highly complex process, regulated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Often, these two regulatory arms work in tandem to maintain the steady-state condition of hematopoiesis. However, at times, certain intrinsic attributes of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) override the external stimuli and dominate the outcome. These could be genetic events like mutations or environmentally induced epigenetic or transcriptomic changes. Since leukemic stem cells (LSCs) share molecular pathways that also regulate normal HSCs, identifying specific, dominantly acting intrinsic factors could help in the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Here we have reviewed such dominantly acting intrinsic factors governing quiescence vis-à-vis activation of the HSCs in the face of external forces acting on them. For brevity, we have restricted our review to the articles dealing with adult HSCs of human and mouse origin that have been published in the last 10 years. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are closely associated with various stromal cells in their microenvironment and, thus, constantly receive signaling cues from them. The illustration depicts some dominantly acting intrinsic or cell-autonomous factors operative in the HSCs. These fall into various categories, such as epigenetic regulators, transcription factors, cell cycle regulators, tumor suppressor genes, signaling pathways, and metabolic regulators, which counteract the outcome of extrinsic signaling exerted by the HSC niche.

Deregulated calcium signaling in blood cancer: Underlying mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Intracellular calcium signaling regulates diverse physiological and pathological processes. In solid tumors, changes to calcium channels and effectors via mutations or changes in expression affect all cancer hallmarks. Such changes often disrupt transport of calcium ions (Ca2+) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or mitochondria, impacting apoptosis. Evidence rapidly accumulates that this is similar in blood cancer. Principles of intracellular Ca2+ signaling are outlined in the introduction. We describe different Ca2+-toolkit components and summarize the unique relationship between extracellular Ca2+ in the endosteal niche and hematopoietic stem cells. The foundational data on Ca2+ homeostasis in red blood cells is discussed, with the demonstration of changes in red blood cell disorders. This leads to the role of Ca2+ in neoplastic erythropoiesis. Then we expand onto the neoplastic impact of deregulated plasma membrane Ca2+ channels, ER Ca2+ channels, Ca2+ pumps and exchangers, as well as Ca2+ sensor and effector proteins across all types of hematologic neoplasms. This includes an overview of genetic variants in the Ca2+-toolkit encoding genes in lymphoid and myeloid cancers as recorded in publically available cancer databases. The data we compiled demonstrate that multiple Ca2+ homeostatic mechanisms and Ca2+ responsive pathways are altered in hematologic cancers. Some of these alterations may have genetic basis but this requires further investigation. Most changes in the Ca2+-toolkit do not appear to define/associate with specific disease entities but may influence disease grade, prognosis, treatment response, and certain complications. Further elucidation of the underlying mechanisms may lead to novel treatments, with the aim to tailor drugs to different patterns of deregulation. To our knowledge this is the first review of its type in the published literature. We hope that the evidence we compiled increases awareness of the calcium signaling deregulation in hematologic neoplasms and triggers more clinical studies to help advance this field.

Upregulation of PNCK Promotes Metastasis and Angiogenesis via Activating NF-κB/VEGF Pathway in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Background

Distant metastasis is the major cause of treatment failure in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Thus, the identification of the molecular mechanisms and the development of novel therapeutic strategies are important. Previous studies suggest that PNCK promotes tumor growth by suppressing PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling in NPC. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism of PNCK for NPC invasion and metastasis remains unclear.

Methods

The PNCK expression level was evaluated in nonmetastatic and metastatic NPC specimens by mRNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry. In vitro migration and invasion and in vivo nude mouse metastasis model and zebrafish model were used to evaluate the effects of PNCK ectopic expression on the metastatic ability of NPC cells. Gene set enrichment and western blot analyses were used to investigate the PNCK downstream signaling pathway.

Results

Human metastatic NPC samples showed elevated PNCK expression at both mRNA and protein levels. Upregulated PNCK promoted in vitro NPC cell migration, invasion, and the formation of lung metastases; the vascular-labeled fluorescence signal increased in the in vivo zebrafish model. Mechanistically, pathway analysis showed that the upregulation of PNCK may promote cell metastasis by activating the NF-κB/VEGF signaling pathway.

Conclusions

These findings revealed the specific critical role of PNCK in promoting NPC metastasis and angiogenesis, which suggested that PNCK may have implications as a potential therapeutic target for individualized NPC treatment.

Put in a “Ca2+ll” to Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clonal disorder characterized by genetic aberrations in myeloid primitive cells (blasts) which lead to their defective maturation/function and their proliferation in the bone marrow (BM) and blood of affected individuals. Current intensive chemotherapy protocols result in complete remission in 50% to 80% of AML patients depending on their age and the AML type involved. While alterations in calcium signaling have been extensively studied in solid tumors, little is known about the role of calcium in most hematologic malignancies, including AML. Our purpose with this review is to raise awareness about this issue and to present (i) the role of calcium signaling in AML cell proliferation and differentiation and in the quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells; (ii) the interplay between mitochondria, metabolism, and oxidative stress; (iii) the effect of the BM microenvironment on AML cell fate; and finally (iv) the mechanism by which chemotherapeutic treatments modify calcium homeostasis in AML cells.

CaMK4 is a downstream effector of the α1G T-type calcium channel to determine the angiogenic potential of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells

Pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) uniquely express an α1G-subtype of voltage-gated T-type Ca2+ channel. We have previously revealed that the α1G channel functions as a background Ca2+ entry pathway that is critical for the cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenic potential of PMVECs, a novel function attributed to the coupling between α1G-mediated Ca2+ entry and constitutive Akt phosphorylation and activation. Despite this significance, mechanism(s) that link the α1G-mediated Ca2+ entry to Akt phosphorylation remain incompletely understood. In this study, we demonstrate that Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) 4 serves as a downstream effector of the α1G-mediated Ca2+ entry to promote the angiogenic potential of PMVECs. Notably, CaMK2 and CaMK4 are both expressed in PMVECs. Pharmacological blockade or genetic knockdown of the α1G channel led to a significant reduction in the phosphorylation level of CaMK4 but not the phosphorylation level of CaMK2. Pharmacological inhibition as well as genetic knockdown of CaMK4 significantly decreased cell proliferation, migration, and network formation capacity in PMVECs. However, CaMK4 inhibition or knockdown did not alter Akt phosphorylation status in PMVECs, indicating that α1G/Ca2+/CaMK4 is independent of the α1G/Ca2+/Akt pathway in sustaining the cells' angiogenic potential. Altogether, these findings suggest a novel α1G-CaMK4 signaling complex that regulates the Ca2+-dominated angiogenic potential in PMVECs.

Newly characterized bovine mammary stromal region with epithelial properties supports representative epithelial outgrowth development from transplanted stem cells

Limited outgrowth development of bovine mammary epithelial stem cells transplanted into de-epithelialized mouse fat pads restricts advanced studies on this productive organ's development and renewal. We challenged the mouse-bovine incompatibility by implanting parenchymal adjacent or distant bovine stromal layers (close and far stroma, respectively) into the mouse fat pad to serve as an endogenous niche for transplanted stem cells. The close stroma better supported stem cell take rate and outgrowth development. The diameter of these open duct-like structures represented and occasionally exceeded that of the endogenous ducts and appeared 8.3-fold wider than the capsule-like structures developed in the mouse fat pad after similar cell transplantation. RNA-Seq revealed lower complement activity in this layer, associated with secretion of specific laminins and WNT proteins favoring epithelial outgrowth development. The close stroma appeared genetically more similar to the parenchyma than to the far stroma due to epithelial characteristics, mainly of fibroblasts, including expression of epithelial markers, milk protein genes, and functional mammary claudins. Gene markers and activators of the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition were highly enriched in the epithelial gene cluster and may contribute to the acquired epithelial properties of this stromal layer.

RBL1/p107 Expression Levels Are Modulated by Multiple Signaling Pathways

The members of the retinoblastoma (RB) protein family, RB1/p105, retinoblastoma-like (RBL)1/p107 and RBL2/p130 are critical modulators of the cell cycle and their dysregulation has been associated with tumor initiation and progression. The activity of RB proteins is regulated by numerous pathways including oncogenic signaling, but the molecular mechanisms of these functional interactions are not fully defined. We previously demonstrated that RBL2/p130 is a direct target of AKT and it is a key mediator of the apoptotic process induced by AKT inhibition. Here we demonstrated that RBL1/p107 levels are only minorly modulated by the AKT signaling pathway. In contrast, we discovered that RBL1/p107 levels are regulated by multiple pathways linked directly or indirectly to Ca²⁺-dependent signaling. Inhibition of the multifunctional calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinases (CaMKs) significantly reduced RBL1/p107 expression levels and phosphorylation, increased RBL1/p107 nuclear localization and led to cell cycle arrest in G0/G1. Targeting the Ca²⁺-dependent endopeptidase calpain stabilized RBL1/p107 levels and counteracted the reduction of RBL1/p107 levels associated with CaMKs inhibition. Thus, these novel observations suggest a complex regulation of RBL1/p107 expression involving different components of signaling pathways controlled by Ca²⁺ levels, including CaMKs and calpain, pointing out a significant difference with the mechanisms modulating the close family member RBL2/p130.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinases in Leukemia Development

Ca²⁺/calmodulin (CaM) signaling is important for a wide range of cellular functions. It is not surprised the role of this signaling has been recognized in tumor progressions, such as proliferation, invasion, and migration. However, its role in leukemia has not been well appreciated. The multifunctional Ca²⁺/CaM-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs) are critical intermediates of this signaling and play key roles in cancer development. The most investigated CaMKs in leukemia, especially myeloid leukemia, are CaMKI, CaMKII, and CaMKIV. The function and mechanism of these kinases in leukemia development are summarized in this study.

DNA methylation analysis improves the prognostication of acute myeloid leukemia

Integration of orthogonal data could provide new opportunities to pinpoint the underlying molecular mechanisms of hematologic disorders. Using a novel gene network approach, we integrated DNA methylation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (n = 194 cases) with the corresponding gene expression profile. Our integrated gene network analysis classified AML patients into low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. The identified high-risk group had significantly shorter overall survival compared to the low-risk group (p-value ≤10-11). Specifically, our approach identified a particular subgroup of nine high-risk AML cases that died within 2 years after diagnosis. These high-risk cases otherwise would be incorrectly classified as intermediate-risk solely based on cytogenetics, mutation profiles, and common molecular characteristics of AML. We confirmed the prognostic value of our integrative gene network approach using two independent datasets, as well as through comparison with European LeukemiaNet and LSC17 criteria. Our approach could be useful in the prognostication of a subset of borderline AML cases. These cases would not be classified into appropriate risk groups by other approaches that use gene expression, but not DNA methylation data. Our findings highlight the significance of epigenomic data, and they indicate integrating DNA methylation data with gene coexpression networks can have a synergistic effect.

The role of calmodulin and calmodulin-dependent protein kinases in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that triggers severe thrombotic cardiovascular events, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. In atherosclerotic processes, both macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are essential cell components in atheromata formation through proinflammatory cytokine secretion, defective efferocytosis, cell migration, and proliferation, primarily controlled by Ca²⁺-dependent signaling. Calmodulin (CaM), as a versatile Ca²+ sensor in diverse cell types, regulates a broad spectrum of Ca²⁺-dependent cell functions through the actions of downstream protein kinases. Thus, this review focuses on discussing how CaM and CaM-dependent kinases (CaMKs) regulate the functions of macrophages and VSMCs in atherosclerotic plaque development based on literature from open databases. A central theme in this review is a summary of the mechanisms and consequences underlying CaMK-mediated macrophage inflammation and apoptosis, which are the key processes in necrotic core formation in atherosclerosis. Another central theme is addressing the role of CaM and CaMK-dependent pathways in phenotypic modulation, migration, and proliferation of VSMCs in atherosclerotic progression. A complete understanding of CaM and CaMK-controlled individual processes involving macrophages and VSMCs in atherogenesis might provide helpful information for developing potential therapeutic targets and strategies.

PNCK depletion inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo

Purpose: Recent studies indicate that pregnancy upregulated non-ubiquitous calmodulin kinase (PNCK) is significantly up-regulated in breast and renal carcinomas. However, the expression profile and its biological relevance of PNCK in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) have not been elucidated.

Methods: The expression level of PNCK was detected in specimens of NPC (n=10) and normal tissues (n=10) by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. Celigo Cell Counting and MTT assay were used to measure cell viability. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric analysis and caspases 3/7 activity assay. Real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed to evaluate the expression of PNCK. The bioluminescence imaging was used to evaluate the effects of PNCK knockdown on tumor growth using a xenograft animal model. The global gene expression profile was determined in wild type and PNCK-depleted CNE-2 cells via transcriptomics analysis. For mechanical investigation, the changes of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway were detected by Western blotting.

Results: The mRNA and protein levels of PNCK were increased in human NPC samples. In vitro experiments showed that shRNA or CRISPR-Cas9 mediated silencing of PNCK inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in NPC cells. In addition, in vivo assay revealed that knockdown of PNCK suppressed tumor growth. Consistently, a significant reduction of tumor bioluminescence in mice inoculated with PNCK-knockdown cells compared to that of control cells. In gene expression, the transcriptomics analysis revealed that there were 589 upregulated genes and 589 downregulated genes in PNCK-knockdown cells. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) identified significant changes of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in PNCK-knockdown cells. Furthermore, western blot analysis revealed that interference with PNCK reduced the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT and mTOR in CNE-2 cells.

Conclusion: This study for the first time demonstrates that knockdown of PNCK could suppress growth and induce apoptosis of NPC cells both in vitro and in vivo by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. These findings suggest that PNCK might be a novel therapeutic target for NPC treatment.

CaMKII Activity in the Inflammatory Response of Cardiac Diseases

Inflammation is a physiological process by which the body responds to external insults and stress conditions, and it is characterized by the production of pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines. The acute inflammatory response is solved by removing the threat. Conversely, a chronic inflammatory state is established due to a prolonged inflammatory response and may lead to tissue damage. Based on the evidence of a reciprocal regulation between inflammation process and calcium unbalance, here we described the involvement of a calcium sensor in cardiac diseases with inflammatory drift. Indeed, the Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is activated in several diseases with an inflammatory component, such as myocardial infarction, ischemia/reperfusion injury, pressure overload/hypertrophy, and arrhythmic syndromes, in which it actively regulates pro-inflammatory signaling, among which includes nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), thus contributing to pathological cardiac remodeling. Thus, CaMKII may represent a key target to modulate the severity of the inflammatory-driven degeneration.

Knockdown of long noncoding RNA WNT5A-AS restores the fate of neural stem cells exposed to sevoflurane via inhibiting WNT5A/Ryk-ROS signaling

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in neurogenesis. LncRNA WNT5A-AS is upregulated in neural stem cells (NSCs), the proliferation of which is inhibited by sevoflurane. Thus, we hypothesized that knocking down of lncRNA WNT5A-AS may restore the fate of NSCs exposed to sevoflurane. To test this hypothesis, NSCs obtained from postnatal Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to 2.4% sevoflurane or control gas for 6 h. Bioinformatics analysis, quantitative PCR and RNA interference technology were used to identify the properties of lncRNA WNT5A-AS. Cell proliferation was assessed using counting a Cell Counting Kit-cell 8 assay, a 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation assay, and a plate cloning assay. Cell survival was detected by flow cytometry, which was also used to examine the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the cell cycle. The levels of WNT5A and receptor tyrosine kinase (Ryk) were measured via Western blotting. LncRNA WNT5A-AS was identified to have low coding potency and to be located on the antisense strand of WNT5A. The level of upregulated lncRNA WNT5A-AS was positively correlated with that of WNT5A in response to sevoflurane exposure. The knockdown of lncRNA WNT5A-AS promoted the proliferation and survival of NSCs, whereas it suppressed the WNT5A/Ryk-ROS signaling and drove cell cycle processes. Taken together, findings strongly suggest that the inhibition of lncRNA WNT5A-AS can rescue the fate of NSCs. In addition, WNT5A/Ryk-ROS signaling might be a downstream target of lncRNA WNT5A-AS.

Salinomycin triggers endoplasmic reticulum stress through ATP2A3 upregulation in PC-3 cells

Background

Salinomycin is a monocarboxylic polyether antibiotic and is a potential chemotherapy drug. Our previous studies showed that salinomycin inhibited cell growth and targeted CSCs in prostate cancer. However, the precise target of salinomycin action is unclear.

Methods

In this work, we analyzed and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after treatment with or without salinomycin using a gene expression microarray in vitro (PC-3 cells) and in vivo (NOD/SCID mice xenograft model generated from implanted PC-3 cells). Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to analyze the expression of ATP2A3 and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress biomarkers. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle, apoptosis and intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration.

Results

A significantly upregulated gene, ATPase sarcoplasmatic/endoplasmatic reticulum Ca²⁺ transporting 3 (ATP2A3), was successfully identified. In subsequent studies, we found that ATP2A3 overexpression could trigger ER stress and exert anti-cancer effects in PC-3 and DU145 cells. ATP2A3 was slightly expressed, but the ER stress biomarkers showed strong staining in prostate cancer tissues. We also found that salinomycin could trigger ER stress, which might be related to ATP2A3-mediated Ca²⁺ release in PC-3 cells. Furthermore, we found that salinomycin-triggered ER stress could promote apoptosis and thus exert anti-cancer effects in prostate cancer cells.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that ATP2A3 might be one of the potential targets for salinomycin, which can inhibit Ca²⁺ release and trigger ER stress to exert anti-cancer effects.

Cross-Talk between Neurohormonal Pathways and the Immune System in Heart Failure: A Review of the Literature

Heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome involving a multitude of neurohormonal pathways including the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, sympathetic nervous system, and natriuretic peptides system. It is now emerging that neurohumoral mechanisms activated during heart failure, with both preserved and reduced ejection fraction, modulate cells of the immune system. Indeed, these cells express angiotensin I receptors, adrenoceptors, and natriuretic peptides receptors. Ang II modulates macrophage polarization, promoting M2 macrophages phenotype, and this stimulation can influence lymphocytes Th1/Th2 balance. β-AR activation in monocytes is responsible for inhibition of free oxygen radicals production, and together with α2-AR can modulate TNF-α receptor expression and TNF-α release. In dendritic cells, activation of β2-AR inhibits IL-12 production, resulting in the inhibition of Th1 and promotion of Th2 differentiation. ANP induces the activation of secretion of superoxide anion in polymorphonucleated cells; reduces TNF-α and nitric oxide secretion in macrophages; and attenuates the exacerbated TH1 responses. BNP in macrophages can stimulate ROS production, up-regulates IL-10, and inhibits IL-12 and TNF-α release by dendritic cells, suggesting an anti-inflammatory cytokines profile induction. Therefore, different neurohormonal-immune cross-talks can determine the phenotype of cardiac remodeling, promoting either favorable or maladaptive responses. This review aims to summarize the available knowledge on neurohormonal modulation of immune responses, providing supportive rational background for further research.

The Multi-Functional Calcium/Calmodulin Stimulated Protein Kinase (CaMK) Family: Emerging Targets for Anti-Cancer Therapeutic Intervention

The importance of Ca²⁺ signalling in key events of cancer cell function and tumour progression, such as proliferation, migration, invasion and survival, has recently begun to be appreciated. Many cellular Ca²⁺-stimulated signalling cascades utilise the intermediate, calmodulin (CaM). The Ca²⁺/CaM complex binds and activates a variety of enzymes, including members of the multifunctional Ca²⁺/calmodulin-stimulated protein kinase (CaMK) family. These enzymes control a broad range of cancer-related functions in a multitude of tumour types. Herein, we explore the cancer-related functions of these kinases and discuss their potential as targets for therapeutic intervention.

Inhibition of CaMKK2 Enhances Fracture Healing by Stimulating Indian Hedgehog Signaling and Accelerating Endochondral Ossification

Approximately 10% of all bone fractures do not heal, resulting in patient morbidity and healthcare costs. However, no pharmacological treatments are currently available to promote efficient bone healing. Inhibition of Ca2+ /calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase kinase 2 (CaMKK2) reverses age-associated loss of trabecular and cortical bone volume and strength in mice. In the current study, we investigated the role of CaMKK2 in bone fracture healing and show that its pharmacological inhibition using STO-609 accelerates early cellular and molecular events associated with endochondral ossification, resulting in a more rapid and efficient healing of the fracture. Within 7 days postfracture, treatment with STO-609 resulted in enhanced Indian hedgehog signaling, paired-related homeobox (PRX1)-positive mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) recruitment, and chondrocyte differentiation and hypertrophy, along with elevated expression of osterix, vascular endothelial growth factor, and type 1 collagen at the fracture callus. Early deposition of primary bone by osteoblasts resulted in STO-609-treated mice possessing significantly higher callus bone volume by 14 days following fracture. Subsequent rapid maturation of the bone matrix bestowed fractured bones in STO-609-treated animals with significantly higher torsional strength and stiffness by 28 days postinjury, indicating accelerated healing of the fracture. Previous studies indicate that fixed and closed femoral fractures in the mice take 35 days to fully heal without treatment. Therefore, our data suggest that STO-609 potentiates a 20% acceleration of the bone healing process. Moreover, inhibiting CaMKK2 also imparted higher mechanical strength and stiffness at the contralateral cortical bone within 4 weeks of treatment. Taken together, the data presented here underscore the therapeutic potential of targeting CaMKK2 to promote efficacious and rapid healing of bone fractures and as a mechanism to strengthen normal bones. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

A systems medicine approach for finding target proteins affecting treatment outcomes in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Autoantibody profiling with a systems medicine approach can help identify critical dysregulated signaling pathways (SPs) in cancers. In this way, immunoglobulins G (IgG) purified from the serum samples of 92 healthy controls, 10 pre-treated (PR) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) patients, and 20 NHL patients who underwent chemotherapy (PS) were screened with a phage-displayed random peptide library. Protein-protein interaction networks of the PR and PS groups were analyzed and visualized by Gephi. The results indicated AXIN2, SENP2, TOP2A, FZD6, NLK, HDAC2, HDAC1, and EHMT2, in addition to CAMK2A, PLCG1, PLCG2, GRM5, GRIN2B, GRIN2D, CACNA2D3, and SPTAN1 as hubs in 11 and 7 modules of PR and PS networks, respectively. PR- and PS-specific hubs were evaluated in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Reactome databases. The PR-specific hubs were involved in Wnt SP, signaling by Notch1 in cancer, telomere maintenance, and transcriptional misregulation. In contrast, glutamate receptor SP, Fc receptor-related pathways, growth factors-related SPs, and Wnt SP were statistically significant enriched pathways, based on the pathway analysis of PS hubs. The results revealed that the most PR-specific proteins were associated with events involved in tumor development, while chemotherapy in the PS group was associated with side effects of drugs and/or cancer recurrence. As the findings demonstrated, PR- and PS-specific proteins in this study can be promising therapeutic targets in future studies.

Cellular subtype expression and activation of CaMKII regulate the fate of atherosclerotic plaque

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Atherosclerosis is a degenerative process of the arterial wall implicating activation of macrophages and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. Calcium-calmodulin dependent kinase type II (CaMKII) in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) regulates proliferation, while in macrophages, this kinase governs diapedesis, infiltration and release of extracellular matrix enzymes. We aimed at understanding the possible role of CaMKII in atherosclerosis plaques to regulate plaque evolution towards stability or instability.

METHODS

Clinically defined stable and unstable plaques obtained from patients undergoing carotid end arteriectomy were processed for evaluation of CaMKs protein expression, activity and localization.

RESULTS

The larger content of CaMKII was found in CD14+myeloid cells that were more abundant in unstable rather than stable plaques. To test the biological effect of activated CD14+myeloid cells, VSMCs were exposed to the conditioned medium (CM) of macrophages extracted from carotid plaques. CM induced attenuation of CaMKs expression and activity in VSMCs, leading to the reduction of VSMCs proliferation. This appears to be due to the CaMKII dependent release of cytokines.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate a pivotal role of CaMKs in atherosclerosis by regulating activated myeloid cells on VSMCs activity. CaMKII could represent a possible target for therapeutic strategies based on macrophages specific inhibition for the stabilization of arteriosclerotic lesions.

Inhibition of the nuclear export of p65 and IQCG in leukemogenesis by NUP98-IQCG

NUP98 fuses with approximately 34 different partner genes via translocation in hematological malignancies. Transgenic or retrovirus-mediated bone marrow transplanted mouse models reveal the leukemogenesis of some NUP98-related fusion genes. We previously reported the fusion protein NUP98-IQ motif containing G (IQCG) in a myeloid/T lymphoid bi-phenoleukemia patient with t(3;11) and confirmed its leukemogenic ability. Herein, we demonstrated the association of NUP98-IQCG with CRM1, and found that NUP98-IQCG expression inhibits the CRM1-mediated nuclear export of p65 and enhances the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB. Moreover, IQCG could be entrapped in the nucleus by NUP98-IQCG, and the fusion protein interacts with calmodulin via the IQ motif in a calcium-independent manner. Therefore, the inhibition of nuclear exports of p65 and IQCG might contribute to the leukemogenesis of NUP98-IQCG.

The emerging role of CaMKII in cancer

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinases best known for its critical role in learning and memory. Recent studies suggested that high levels of CaMKII also expressed in variety of malignant diseases. In this review, we focus on the structure and biology properties of CaMKII, including the role of CaMKII in the regulation of cancer progression and therapy response. We also describe the role of CaMKII in the diagnosis of different kinds of cancer and recent progress in the development of CaMKII inhibitors. These data establishes CaMKII as a novel target whose modulation presents new opportunities for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

DAG/PKCδ and IP3/Ca²⁺/CaMK IIβ Operate in Parallel to Each Other in PLCγ1-Driven Cell Proliferation and Migration of Human Gastric Adenocarcinoma Cells, through Akt/mTOR/S6 Pathway

Phosphoinositide specific phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ) activates diacylglycerol (DAG)/protein kinase C (PKC) and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)/Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMK II) axes to regulate import events in some cancer cells, including gastric adenocarcinoma cells. However, whether DAG/PKCδ and IP3/Ca²⁺/CaMK IIβ axes are simultaneously involved in PLCγ1-driven cell proliferation and migration of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells and the underlying mechanism are not elucidated. Here, we investigated the role of DAG/PKCδ or CaMK IIβ in PLCγ1-driven cell proliferation and migration of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells, using the BGC-823 cell line. The results indicated that the inhibition of PKCδ and CaMK IIβ could block cell proliferation and migration of BGC-823 cells as well as the effect of inhibiting PLCγ1, including the decrease of cell viability, the increase of apoptotic index, the down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 9 expression level, and the decrease of cell migration rate. Both DAG/PKCδ and CaMK IIβ triggered protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/S6 pathway to regulate protein synthesis. The data indicate that DAG/PKCδ and IP3/Ca²⁺/CaMK IIβ operate in parallel to each other in PLCγ1-driven cell proliferation and migration of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells through Akt/mTOR/S6 pathway, with important implication for validating PLCγ1 as a molecular biomarker in early gastric cancer diagnosis and disease surveillance.