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Lunin SM, Novoselova EG, Glushkova OV, Parfenyuk SB, Novoselova TV, Khrenov MO. Cell Senescence and Central Regulators of Immune Response. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084109. [PMID: 35456927 PMCID: PMC9028919 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathways regulating cell senescence and cell cycle underlie many processes associated with ageing and age-related pathologies, and they also mediate cellular responses to exposure to stressors. Meanwhile, there are central mechanisms of the regulation of stress responses that induce/enhance or weaken the response of the whole organism, such as hormones of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, thymic hormones, and the pineal hormone melatonin. Although there are many analyses considering relationships between the HPA axis and organism ageing, we found no systematic analyses of relationships between the neuroendocrine regulators of stress and inflammation and intracellular mechanisms controlling cell cycle, senescence, and apoptosis. Here, we provide a review of the effects of neuroendocrine regulators on these mechanisms. Our analysis allowed us to postulate a multilevel system of central regulators involving neurotransmitters, glucocorticoids, melatonin, and the thymic hormones. This system finely regulates the cell cycle and metabolic/catabolic processes depending on the level of systemic stress, stage of stress response, and energy capabilities of the body, shifting the balance between cell cycle progression, cell cycle stopping, senescence, and apoptosis. These processes and levels of regulation should be considered when studying the mechanisms of ageing and the proliferation on the level of the whole organism.
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Liang Y, Li H, Gan Y, Tu H. Shedding Light on the Role of Neurotransmitters in the Microenvironment of Pancreatic Cancer. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:688953. [PMID: 34395421 PMCID: PMC8363299 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.688953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly lethal malignancy with a 5-year survival rate of less than 8%. The fate of PC is determined not only by the malignant behavior of the cancer cells, but also by the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), consisting of various cellular (cancer cells, immune cells, stromal cells, endothelial cells, and neurons) and non-cellular (cytokines, neurotransmitters, and extracellular matrix) components. The pancreatic TME has the unique characteristic of exhibiting increased neural density and altered microenvironmental concentration of neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters, produced by both neuron and non-neuronal cells, can directly regulate the biological behavior of PC cells via binding to their corresponding receptors on tumor cells and activating the intracellular downstream signals. On the other hand, the neurotransmitters can also communicate with other cellular components such as the immune cells in the TME to promote cancer growth. In this review, we will summarize the pleiotropic effects of neurotransmitters on the initiation and progression of PC, and particularly discuss the emerging mechanisms of how neurotransmitters influence the innate and adaptive immune responses in the TME in an autocrine or paracrine manner. A better understanding of the interplay between neurotransmitters and the immune cells in the TME might facilitate the development of new effective therapies for PC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yu Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Hodo TW, de Aquino MTP, Shimamoto A, Shanker A. Critical Neurotransmitters in the Neuroimmune Network. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1869. [PMID: 32973771 PMCID: PMC7472989 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune cells rely on cell-cell communication to specify and fine-tune their responses. They express an extensive network of cell communication modes, including a vast repertoire of cell surface and transmembrane receptors and ligands, membrane vesicles, junctions, ligand and voltage-gated ion channels, and transporters. During a crosstalk between the nervous system and the immune system these modes of cellular communication and the downstream signal transduction events are influenced by neurotransmitters present in the local tissue environments in an autocrine or paracrine fashion. Neurotransmitters thus influence innate and adaptive immune responses. In addition, immune cells send signals to the brain through cytokines, and are present in the brain to influence neural responses. Altered communication between the nervous and immune systems is emerging as a common feature in neurodegenerative and immunopathological diseases. Here, we present the mechanistic frameworks of immunostimulatory and immunosuppressive effects critical neurotransmitters - dopamine (3,4-dihydroxyphenethylamine), serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), substance P (trifluoroacetate salt powder), and L-glutamate - exert on lymphocytes and non-lymphoid immune cells. Furthermore, we discuss the possible roles neurotransmitter-driven neuroimmune networks play in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders, autoimmune diseases, cancer, and outline potential clinical implications of balancing neuroimmune crosstalk by therapeutic modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wesley Hodo
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.,School of Graduate Studies and Research, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Maria Teresa Prudente de Aquino
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Akiko Shimamoto
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Anil Shanker
- Department of Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Meharry Medical College School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, United States.,School of Graduate Studies and Research, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, United States.,Host-Tumor Interactions Research Program, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States.,Vanderbilt Institute for Infection, Immunology and Inflammation, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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Shao C, Tian G, Huang Y, Liang W, Zheng H, Wei J, Wei C, Yang C, Wang H, Zeng W. Thymosin alpha-1-transformed Bifidobacterium promotes T cell proliferation and maturation in mice by oral administration. Int Immunopharmacol 2013; 15:646-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2012.12.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2012] [Revised: 12/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Verma A, Bhatt AN, Farooque A, Khanna S, Singh S, Dwarakanath BS. Calcium ionophore A23187 reveals calcium related cellular stress as “I-Bodies”: An old actor in a new role. Cell Calcium 2011; 50:510-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceca.2011.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2011] [Revised: 08/28/2011] [Accepted: 08/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Li W, Song L, Wu S, Xue X, Zhang L, He L, Han W, Wang Q, Ling R, Zhang W, Yan Z, Zhang Y. Expression, purification and characterization of a novel soluble human thymosin alpha1 concatemer exhibited a stronger stimulation on mice lymphocytes proliferation and higher anti-tumor activity. Int J Biol Sci 2011; 7:618-28. [PMID: 21647330 PMCID: PMC3107470 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.7.618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2010] [Accepted: 05/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) has immunomodulatory and anti-tumor effects in patients and has been commercialized in worldwide. An innovative technique is therefore impending to achieve high-yield expression and purification of Tα1 to meet the increasing requirements for clinical applications. Tα1 can enhance T cells, dendritic cells and antibody responses, and also augment an anti-tumor immune response. In the current study, we developed a novel technique to produce Tα1 concatemer and investigated its capability in anti-tumor immunotherapy. We expressed the recombinant 2×Tα1 concatemer protein (Tα1② protein) in Escherichia coli. The purity of Tα1② was higher than 95% as assessed by HPLC analysis. In vitro, Tα1② could stimulate the proliferation of mouse splenic lymphocyte, and increase the apoptosis of tumor cell lines. In vivo, Tα1② significantly inhibited the tumor growth in B16 tumor-bearing mice. Compared with Tα1, the Tα1② is of more effective bioactivity than Tα1. The purified Tα1② is a promising substitute for synthetic Tα1 because of its potent anti-tumor effects. We concluded that the expression system for Tα1 concatemer was constructed successfully, which could serves as a highly efficient tool for the production of large quantities of the highly active protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weina Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, 710032 Xi'an, China
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Shrivastava P, Singh SM, Singh N. Antitumor Activation of Peritoneal Macrophages by Thymosin Alpha-1. Cancer Invest 2009; 23:316-22. [PMID: 16100944 DOI: 10.1081/cnv-58813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
It was been previously reported that thyalpha1 can be used to activate monocytes, BMDM and TAM. However, the effect of thyalpha1 on other tissue macrophages has not been investigated. Moreover, there is no report about the use of thyalpha1-treated macrophages in adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. In view of these observations in the present study, we checked the response of various tissue macrophages to thyalpha1 for activation. Tissue macrophages showed differential response to thyalpha1; moreover, adoptive transfer of peritoneal macrophages treated with thyalpha1 to mice bearing spontaneous T-cell lymphoma designated as Dalton's lymphoma (DL) resulted in the prolongation of the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. The mechanism of macrophage therapy-dependent tumor regression was enhanced antitumor activity of macrophages in response to thyalpha1 treatment via their production of macrophage-activating cytokines that act in autocrine manner. These results will help in the development of immunotherapy against tumor based on activation of macrophage with thyalpha1.
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Singh V, Singh SM. A tumour stage-dependent evolution of drug resistant T cell lymphoma: Role of soluble mediators of tumour and host origin. Leuk Res 2009; 33:700-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2008.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2008] [Revised: 08/06/2008] [Accepted: 09/09/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Singh N, Singh SM, Singh G. Restoration of Thymic Homeostasis in a Tumor-Bearing Host by in Vivo Administration of Medicinal Herb Tinospora Cordifolia. Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol 2008; 27:585-99. [PMID: 16435578 DOI: 10.1080/08923970500416764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
In vivo administration of alcoholic extract of medicinal plant Tinospora cordifolia (TC) to mice bearing a spontaneous T cell lymphoma designated as Dalton's lymphoma prevented tumor growth-dependent regression of thymus. TC was found to augment proliferation of thymocytes with a concomitant decrease in thymocyte apoptosis. It also resulted in a decrease in the number of Hassal's corpuscles. Restoration of thymus homeostasis was caused by TC-dependent augmentation in production of thymocyte growth promoting cytokines Interleukin-2 and Interferon-gamma from thymocytes. TC was found to downregulate thymocyte apoptosis by modulation of Caspase pathway. TC administration retarded tumor growth and prolonged survival of tumor-bearing mice. The possible mechanisms are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Singh
- School of Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India
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Expression and hydroxylamine cleavage of thymosin alpha 1 concatemer. J Biomed Biotechnol 2008; 2008:736060. [PMID: 18645619 PMCID: PMC2467460 DOI: 10.1155/2008/736060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2007] [Revised: 02/21/2008] [Accepted: 06/15/2008] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Human thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is an important peptide in the development and senescence of immunological competence in human, and many studies have reported the expression of this peptide. In this study, we designed and synthesized the Tα1 gene according to the E. coli codon usage preference and constructed a 6×Tα1 concatemer. The latter was inserted into an E. coli expression vector pET-22b (+), and transformed into E. coli BL21 (DE3). After induction with IPTG, the concatemer protein was successfully expressed in E. coli then cleaved by hydroxylamine to release the Tα1 monomer. Gly-SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry confirmed that the recombinant protein was cleaved as intended. The bioactivity of the Tα1 monomer was analyzed by lymphocyte proliferation and by mitochondrial activity in two different tumor cell lines. This study provides a description of the preparation of a bioactive Tα1, which may prove useful in future biomedical research.
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Chen PF, Fu GF, Zhang HY, Xu GX, Hou YY. Liposomal plasmid DNA encoding human thymosin alpha and interferon omega potently inhibits liver tumor growth in ICR mice. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006; 21:1538-43. [PMID: 16928214 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2006.04536.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
AIM To evaluate the potential therapeutic effect of liposomal gene delivery, genes encoding for human thymosin alpha1 (Talpha1) and interferon omega1 were injected via the tail vein into mice bearing a Hep-A-22 liver tumor. METHODS The cDNA of human Talpha1 and interferon omega1 were obtained by synthesis or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Eukaryotic expressing vectors pIRES2, encoding Talpha1 and/or interferon omega1, were constructed and injected with liposome via the tail vein into ICR mice bearing a Hep-A-22 tumor. The potency of tumor inhibition was evaluated when three treated groups were compared with the group receiving the empty vector. Apoptosis of tumor cells was investigated by analyzing DNA fragmentation. RESULTS Only the group treated with dual-gene plasmid reached an eligible level of tumor inhibition (43%). The difference in tumor weight was statistically significant between the Talpha1 gene or the interferon omega1 gene treated groups and the control (P<0.05), and highly significant between the dual-gene treated group and the control (P<0.01). DNA ladder was observed in the tumor cells from the purpose gene treated groups but not from the control. CONCLUSION The dual-gene plasmid-liposome complex showed more potent inhibition than the single gene constructs on the growth of Hep-A-22 tumor cells in mice, which may be attributed to indirect and additive induction of apoptosis in tumor cells by increased expression of Talpha1 and interferon omega1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Fu Chen
- Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
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12
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Immunomodulatory therapy of cytomegalovirus pneumonia after liver transplantation. Chin Med J (Engl) 2006. [DOI: 10.1097/00029330-200609010-00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Fan YZ, Chang H, Yu Y, Liu J, Wang R. Thymosin alpha1 suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines. Peptides 2006; 27:2165-73. [PMID: 16644063 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2006.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2006] [Revised: 03/13/2006] [Accepted: 03/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Thymosin alpha1 (Talpha1), a 28-amino acid peptide, is a well-known immune system enhancer for the treatment of various diseases. In the present investigation, the effects of Talpha1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of human leukemia cell lines (HL-60, K562 and K562/ADM) were studied. The proliferation was significantly depressed after 96 h of treatment with Talpha1, and obvious signs of apoptosis, i.e., cell morphology, nuclei condensation and Annexin V binding, were observed thereafter. Moreover, the up-regulation of Fas/Apol (CD95) and decrease in bcl-2 anti-apoptotic gene expression were observed in apoptotic cells. The expression and the function of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) can be slightly inhibited by Talpha1. It is noteworthy that K562 and K562/ADM were more sensitive than HL-60 cells when subjected to Talpha1. Furthermore, HepG-2, the human hepatoma cell line, displayed significant less sensitivity to Talpha1 than all the human leukemia cell lines. D-Tubocurarine (TUB), a nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) antagonist, significantly antagonized the inhibition effects induced by Talpha1, whereas atropine, a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist, did not exhibit such effects. All the results indicate that Talpha1 was able to significantly suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-zhe Fan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 73000, PR China
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Li M, Feurino LW, Li F, Wang H, Zhai Q, Fisher WE, Chen C, Yao Q. Thymosinalpha1 stimulates cell proliferation by activating ERK1/2, JNK, and increasing cytokine secretion in human pancreatic cancer cells. Cancer Lett 2006; 248:58-67. [PMID: 16828224 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2006.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2006] [Accepted: 05/31/2006] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated the expression and function of thymosinalpha1 (Thyalpha1) in human pancreatic cancer. We found that human pancreatic cancer cell lines Panc-1, Panc03.27, ASPC-1, and PL45 cells significantly over-expressed the mRNA of Thyalpha1 as compared to the normal human pancreatic ductal epithelium (HPDE) cells.. Thyalpha1 mRNA and protein levels were also over-expressed in clinical pancreatic adenocarcinoma specimens. In addition, synthetic Thyalpha1 significantly promoted Panc-1 cell proliferation and increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK. Furthermore, Thyalpha1 increased the secretion of multiple cytokines including IL-10, IL-13, and IL-17 in Panc-1 cells. Thus, Thyalpha1 may have a new role in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Li
- Molecular Surgeon Research Center, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Spangelo BL, Pompilius M, Farrimond DD, Stevens N, Nieva R, Shroff S, Badamchian M, Johnson CR, Jarvis WD. Presence of a peptide component of thymosin fraction-5 manifesting discrete cytostatic properties in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells. Int Immunopharmacol 2005; 5:1317-29. [PMID: 15914336 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2005.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2005] [Revised: 03/31/2005] [Accepted: 04/06/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Thymosin fraction-5 (TF5), an array of small molecular weight peptides present in crude extracts of the adult bovine thymus, contains numerous constituents with demonstrable biological activity. Because TF5 generally enhances immune reactivity in a variety of settings, and additionally restricts proliferation of certain neoplasms, we examined the effects of TF5 on proliferative capacity in the human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60. Vital dye-exclusion, oxidative metabolism of chromogenic dyes, and clonogenic growth profiles were monitored to assess rates of cellular proliferation; our results demonstrate that TF5 restricted HL-60 cell growth, an influence that exhibited comparable potency and efficacy among all three indices. This antiproliferative activity was labile, insofar as medium conditioned in HL-60 cells for 24 h became devoid of the initial growth-suppressive activity after 24-h culture when subsequently administered to naive cultures. Review of cytoarchitectural traits, chromatin staining by TUNEL, and fluorescent cytometric analyses demonstrated that TF5 failed to elicit apoptosis, however, suggesting that this material instead drove treated cells into growth arrest and an unanticipated cytostasis. Qualitatively similar responses were noted in the human monoblastic leukemia cell line U937. Partial purification of TF5 by FPLC yielded a component containing an antiproliferative activity associated with the approximately 1000-Da fraction. These results demonstrate that TF5 contains a sub-fraction possessing a growth-suppressive activity capable of restraining normal proliferation of human myeloid neoplasms via the apparent induction of true cytostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan L Spangelo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154, United States.
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CHEN PF, ZHANG HY, FU GF, XU GX, HOU YY. Overexpression of Soluble Human Thymosin Alpha 1 in Escherichia coli. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2005. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-7270.2005.00014.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Abstract
Thymalfasin (thymosin-alpha 1) is an immunomodulating agent able to enhance the Th1 immune response. It has been evaluated for its immunomodulatory activities and related therapeutic potential in several diseases, including chronic hepatitis B and C, AIDS, primary immunodeficiency diseases, depressed response to vaccination and cancer. The basis for effectiveness in these conditions is primarily through modulation of immunological responsiveness, as thymalfasin has been shown to have beneficial effects on numerous immune system parameters and to increase T-cell differentiation and maturation. Thymalfasin is responsible for reconstitution of immune function when thymic tissue is given back to thymectomized animals. In addition, thymalfasin has been shown to have efficacy in multiple experimental models of immune dysfunction, mainly, infectious diseases such as hepatitis (woodchuck) and influenza (mouse), and cancer such as melanoma (mouse) and colorectal carcinoma (rat) where thymalfasin has shown antitumor effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria H Sjogren
- Department of Clinical Investigation, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA
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Shanker A. Is thymus redundant after adulthood? Immunol Lett 2004; 91:79-86. [PMID: 15019273 DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2003.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2003] [Revised: 12/20/2003] [Accepted: 12/28/2003] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Thymus is considered to involute with age with a decline in thymic function. However, this generality is not universally and incontrovertibly true. Many studies performed in animals and men have proved to the contrary that thymic activity and function appear to be well maintained in the old age and may be indispensable for T cell reconstitution in different immunological settings. During some clinical situations where T cell pool needs to be regenerated, renewal of thymic activity and mass has been observed in an otherwise dormant thymic remnant. New studies have revealed a dynamic interplay between postnatal thymus output and peripheral T cell pool. Moreover, age-related loss of thymic function appears to be only quantitative and not qualitative. This review, thus, focuses on the different conditions that lead to thymic involution and attempts to bring about the emerging notion and the clinical relevance of continuous thymic activity well beyond the adulthood to optimise the function of the immune system in the context of cancer and infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Shanker
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université de la Méditerranée, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Case 906, Marseille Cedex 09, 13288 France.
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Shrivastava P, Singh SM, Singh N. Activation of tumor-associated macrophages by thymosin alpha 1. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2004; 17:39-47. [PMID: 15000865 DOI: 10.1177/039463200401700106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
It was shown earlier that the progressive growth of a transplantable T-cell lymphoma of spontaneous origin, designated as Dalton's lymphoma (DL), in a murine host is associated with an inhibition of macrophages (TAM) along with an involution of thymus. However, it remained unclear if a decline in the level of thymic peptides in DL-bearing host, due to thymic regression, has any implications in the inhibited responses of TAM. Therefore, the present investigation was under taken to study whether the TAM of DL-bearing host can be activated to tumoricidal state by peptides of thymic origin. It was observed that intraperitoneal administration of thymosin alpha 1 to DL-bearing mice resulted in activation of TAM. Such TAM were found to produce enhanced amount of interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI), nitric oxide (NO) and showed an increased abilities of pinocytosis, phagocytosis, antigen presentation and tumor cytotoxicity. The TAM were found to be directly responsive to thymosin alpha1 as in vitro treatment with thymosin alpha 1 could activate TAM to tumoricidal state. Treatment of TAM with thymosin alpha 1 also enhanced their LPS responsiveness for an augmented state of activation. The findings of this study demonstrate for the first time that the TAM of a T cell lymphoma can be activated to tumoricidal state by thymosin alpha 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Shrivastava
- School of Biotechnology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221 005, U.P., India
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Chadwick D, Pido-Lopez J, Pires A, Imami N, Gotch F, Villacian JS, Ravindran S, Paton NI. A pilot study of the safety and efficacy of thymosin alpha 1 in augmenting immune reconstitution in HIV-infected patients with low CD4 counts taking highly active antiretroviral therapy. Clin Exp Immunol 2004; 134:477-81. [PMID: 14632754 PMCID: PMC1808897 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2249.2003.02331.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To study the safety and efficacy of thymosin alpha1 in stimulating immune reconstitution in combination with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), a phase II randomized, controlled open-label trial of subcutaneous thymosin alpha1 was undertaken for 12 weeks. Twenty clinically stable patients with viral loads <400 copies/ml and CD4 counts less than 200 cells/microl were randomized to receive 3.2 mg thymosin alpha 1 subcutaneous injections twice weekly or no injections for 12 weeks. CD4 and CD8 counts, CD45 RO+ and RA+ subsets and signal joint T cell receptor excision circles (sjTREC) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured every 2 weeks. Thirteen patients received thymosin alpha 1 and seven were controls. Thymosin alpha 1 was well tolerated and there were no serious adverse events. There was no significant difference between the thymosin alpha1 and control groups in CD4, CD8 and CD45 lymphocyte subset changes at week 12; however, PBMC sjTREC levels increased significantly in the thymosin alpha 1-treated patients compared to controls at week 12. In conclusion, the increase in PBMC sjTREC levels in patients taking thymosin alpha1 may represent enhanced immune reconstitution; however, the clinical benefits and long-term consequences remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Chadwick
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore
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Yang S, Liu ZW, Zhou WX, Zhang YX. Thymosin alpha-1 modulates excitatory synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons in rats. Neurosci Lett 2003; 350:81-4. [PMID: 12972158 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(03)00862-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Thymosin alpha-1 (Talpha1) not only possesses immunoregulatory properties in periphery but also is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS) and affects the function of the CNS. To further elucidate the role of Talpha1 in the CNS, the whole-cell recording technique was used to observe the effect of Talpha1 on the spontaneous excitatory synaptic transmission in cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The results showed that acute treatment with Talpha1 significantly enhanced the frequency of AMPA-mediated spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current (sEPSC) at the concentrations of 1 and 10 microg/ml and also enhanced the frequency of AMPA-mediated miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) at 10 microg/ml. However, the amplitude of both sEPSC and mEPSC were not changed by Talpha1. Those results suggested that Talpha1 involves in the regulation of excitatory synaptic transmission in hippocampal neurons, which contribute to its neurophysiological function in the CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Yang
- DBeijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, 27 Tai-Ping Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100850, China
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