Non-genetic mechanisms of drug resistance in acute leukemias

Innovative Therapeutic Approach Targeting Colon Cancer Stem Cells: Transitional Cold Atmospheric Plasma

Transitional cold atmospheric plasma (TCAP) represents a novel technique for generating plasma remotely from a primary source. It consists of a partially nonthermal ionized gas mixture containing charged and neutral particles, photons, and free radicals. In recent years, TCAP has attracted considerable attention in biomedical applications. In order to evaluate colon cancer stem cells' (CCSCs) proliferation, apoptotic induction, inflammatory response, and survival, TCAP was utilized both directly and indirectly in this study. Using argon and helium gases, TCAP was continuously delivered in two stages during the experiment. For direct state, TCAP was irradiated onto CCSCs for 3 and 5 min. In the indirect technique, Matrigel was treated with TCAP for 5 min before the introduction of cells. In vitro assays demonstrated that TCAP exposure significantly reduced the viability of CCSCs; helium gas and direct application had greater impacts than argon. Numerous investigations confirmed the induction of apoptosis, showing that the treated groups had more apoptotic cells and altered cellular structures than controls (****p < 0.0001). A substantial increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was found by analyzing the expression of the Bax and Bcl-2 genes, indicating increased susceptibility to apoptosis (*p = 0.0177 and ***p = 0.0004). The higher efficacy of the direct helium mode was further highlighted by inflammatory marker analysis, which showed a significant reduction in interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 expression in cells directly treated with TCAP-helium compared to TCAP-argon (**p = 0.0015 and ***p = 0.0007). Lastly, the proliferation test, which relies on K i-67 expression, demonstrated a noteworthy decline in all TCAP-treated groups, with the direct helium group exhibiting the most robust impact (**p = 0.0014). Overall, the findings highlight the potential of TCAP, particularly with helium, as a promising approach for selectively targeting CCSCs and providing insights into its therapeutic mechanisms for cancer treatment. TCAP, therefore, emerges as a unique therapeutic strategy with potential applications in cancer stem cell-targeted therapies.

Deciphering cell states and the cellular ecosystem to improve risk stratification in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) demonstrates significant cellular heterogeneity in both leukemic and immune cells, providing valuable insights into clinical outcomes. Here, we constructed an AML single-cell transcriptome atlas and proposed sciNMF workflow to systematically dissect underlying cellular heterogeneity. Notably, sciNMF identified 26 leukemic and immune cell states that linked to clinical variables, mutations, and prognosis. By examining the co-existence patterns among these cell states, we highlighted a unique AML cellular ecosystem (ACE) that signifies aberrant tumor milieu and poor survival, which is confirmed by public RNA-seq cohorts. We further developed the ACE signature (ACEsig), comprising 12 genes, which accurately predicts AML prognosis, and outperforms existing signatures. When applied to cytogenetically normal AML or intensively treated patients, the ACEsig continues to demonstrate strong performance. Our results demonstrate that large-scale systematic characterization of cellular heterogeneity has the potential to enhance our understanding of AML heterogeneity and contribute to more precise risk stratification strategy.

A Two-Stage Transferred Cold Atmospheric Plasma as a Unique Therapeutic Strategy for Targeting Colon Cancer Stem Cells

The study examines the induction of apoptosis in colon cancer stem cells (CCSCs) within a 3D culture setting, employing an innovative cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) transmission method known as two-stage transferred cold atmospheric plasma (TS-TCAP). TS-TCAP is a partially or fully ionized non-thermal gaseous mixture that comprises photons, charged and neutral particles, and free radicals, which has gained traction in biomedical applications such as cancer therapy. TS-TCAP impacts CCSCs via a continuous, two-step transport process, facilitating the efficient delivery of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). The key cellular factors of CCSCs impacted by TS-TCAP treatment, encompassing the secretion and expression levels of IL-6 and IL-8, apoptotic cell count, and expression of BAX, BCL-2, and KI-67 proteins, were evaluated using qrt-ELISA, Annexin V, and qrt-PCR procedures, respectively. The outcomes of CCSCs treatment with TS-TCAP reveal a notable rise in the number of apoptotic cells (P<0.0001), diminished secretion, and gene expression of IL-6 and IL-8 (P<0.0001), accompanied by favorable alterations in BCL-2 and BAX gene expression (P<0.0001). Additionally, a notable decrease in KI-67 expression was observed, correlating with a reduction in CCSCs proliferation (P<0.0001). As well, this study underscores the anti-cancer potential of TS-TCAP, showcasing its efficacy in reducing CCSCs survival rates. However, further pre-clinical and clinical trials are necessary to evaluate CAP's efficacy, safety, and potential synergistic effects with other therapies thoroughly. Overall, TS-TCAP presents a promising alternative for CCSCs treatment, pending further investigation and refinement.