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Varra FN, Varras M, Varra VK, Theodosis-Nobelos P. Molecular and pathophysiological relationship between obesity and chronic inflammation in the manifestation of metabolic dysfunctions and their inflammation‑mediating treatment options (Review). Mol Med Rep 2024; 29:95. [PMID: 38606791 PMCID: PMC11025031 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2024.13219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity reaches up to epidemic proportions globally and increases the risk for a wide spectrum of co‑morbidities, including type‑2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, non‑alcoholic fatty liver disease, kidney diseases, respiratory disorders, sleep apnea, musculoskeletal disorders and osteoarthritis, subfertility, psychosocial problems and certain types of cancers. The underlying inflammatory mechanisms interconnecting obesity with metabolic dysfunction are not completely understood. Increased adiposity promotes pro‑inflammatory polarization of macrophages toward the M1 phenotype, in adipose tissue (AT), with subsequent increased production of pro‑inflammatory cytokines and adipokines, inducing therefore an overall, systemic, low‑grade inflammation, which contributes to metabolic syndrome (MetS), insulin resistance (IR) and T2DM. Targeting inflammatory mediators could be alternative therapies to treat obesity, but their safety and efficacy remains to be studied further and confirmed in future clinical trials. The present review highlights the molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms by which the chronic low‑grade inflammation in AT and the production of reactive oxygen species lead to MetS, IR and T2DM. In addition, focus is given on the role of anti‑inflammatory agents, in the resolution of chronic inflammation, through the blockade of chemotactic factors, such as monocytes chemotractant protein‑1, and/or the blockade of pro‑inflammatory mediators, such as IL‑1β, TNF‑α, visfatin, and plasminogen activator inhibitor‑1, and/or the increased synthesis of adipokines, such as adiponectin and apelin, in obesity‑associated metabolic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fani-Niki Varra
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, Frederick University, Nicosia 1036, Cyprus
- Medical School, Dimocritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece
| | - Michail Varras
- Fourth Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ‘Elena Venizelou’ General Hospital, Athens 11521, Greece
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Dosch AR, Singh S, Dai X, Mehra S, Silva IDC, Bianchi A, Srinivasan S, Gao Z, Ban Y, Chen X, Banerjee S, Nagathihalli NS, Datta J, Merchant NB. Targeting Tumor-Stromal IL6/STAT3 Signaling through IL1 Receptor Inhibition in Pancreatic Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2021; 20:2280-2290. [PMID: 34518296 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A hallmark of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the presence of a dense, desmoplastic stroma and the consequent altered interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME) that promote disease progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance. We have previously shown that IL6 secreted from pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) stimulates the activation of STAT3 signaling in tumor cells, an established mechanism of therapeutic resistance in PDAC. We have now identified the tumor cell-derived cytokine IL1α as an upstream mediator of IL6 release from PSCs that is involved in STAT3 activation within the TME. Herein, we show that IL1α is overexpressed in both murine and human PDAC tumors and engages with its cognate receptor IL1R1, which is strongly expressed on stromal cells. Further, we show that IL1R1 inhibition using anakinra (recombinant IL1 receptor antagonist) significantly reduces stromal-derived IL6, thereby suppressing IL6-dependent STAT3 activation in human PDAC cell lines. Anakinra treatment results in significant reduction in IL6 and activated STAT3 levels in pancreatic tumors from Ptf1aCre/+;LSL-KrasG12D/+; Tgfbr2flox/flox (PKT) mice. Additionally, the combination of anakinra with cytotoxic chemotherapy significantly extends overall survival compared with vehicle treatment or anakinra monotherapy in this aggressive genetic mouse model of PDAC. These data highlight the importance of IL1 in mediating tumor-stromal IL6/STAT3 cross-talk in the TME and provide a preclinical rationale for targeting IL1 signaling as a therapeutic strategy in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin R Dosch
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Samara Singh
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Xizi Dai
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Siddharth Mehra
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Iago De Castro Silva
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Anna Bianchi
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Supriya Srinivasan
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Zhen Gao
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Yuguang Ban
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Sulagna Banerjee
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Nagaraj S Nagathihalli
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Jashodeep Datta
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
| | - Nipun B Merchant
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida.
- Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, Florida
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Choi YR, Collins KH, Springer LE, Pferdehirt L, Ross AK, Wu CL, Moutos FT, Harasymowicz NS, Brunger JM, Pham CTN, Guilak F. A genome-engineered bioartificial implant for autoregulated anticytokine drug delivery. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj1414. [PMID: 34516920 PMCID: PMC8442875 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj1414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Biologic drug therapies are increasingly used for inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis but may cause significant adverse effects when delivered continuously at high doses. We used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing of iPSCs to create a synthetic gene circuit that senses changing levels of endogenous inflammatory cytokines to trigger a proportional therapeutic response. Cells were engineered into cartilaginous constructs that showed rapid activation and recovery in response to inflammation in vitro or in vivo. In the murine K/BxN model of inflammatory arthritis, bioengineered implants significantly mitigated disease severity as measured by joint pain, structural damage, and systemic and local inflammation. Therapeutic implants completely prevented increased pain sensitivity and bone erosions, a feat not achievable by current clinically available disease-modifying drugs. Combination tissue engineering and synthetic biology promises a range of potential applications for treating chronic diseases via custom-designed cells that express therapeutic transgenes in response to dynamically changing biological signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Rak Choi
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Kelsey H. Collins
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Luke E. Springer
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Lara Pferdehirt
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Alison K. Ross
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Chia-Lung Wu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | | | - Natalia S. Harasymowicz
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jonathan M. Brunger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Center for Stem Cell Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Christine T. N. Pham
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Farshid Guilak
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Cytex Therapeutics Inc., Durham, NC 27704, USA
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Binder U, Skerra A. PASylated Thymosin α1: A Long-Acting Immunostimulatory Peptide for Applications in Oncology and Virology. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010124. [PMID: 33374407 PMCID: PMC7795856 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymosin α1 (Tα1) is an immunostimulatory peptide for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and used as an immune enhancer, which also offers prospects in the context of COVID-19 infections and cancer. Manufacturing of this N-terminally acetylated 28-residue peptide is demanding, and its short plasma half-life limits in vivo efficacy and requires frequent dosing. Here, we combined the PASylation technology with enzymatic in situ N-acetylation by RimJ to produce a long-acting version of Tα1 in Escherichia coli at high yield. ESI-MS analysis of the purified fusion protein indicated the expected composition without any signs of proteolysis. SEC analysis revealed a 10-fold expanded hydrodynamic volume resulting from the fusion with a conformationally disordered Pro/Ala/Ser (PAS) polypeptide of 600 residues. This size effect led to a plasma half-life in rats extended by more than a factor 8 compared to the original synthetic peptide due to retarded kidney filtration. Our study provides the basis for therapeutic development of a next generation thymosin α1 with prolonged circulation. Generally, the strategy of producing an N-terminally protected PASylated peptide solves three major problems of peptide drugs: (i) instability in the expression host, (ii) rapid degradation by serum exopeptidases, and (iii) low bioactivity because of fast renal clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uli Binder
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Str. 30, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (A.S.)
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (A.S.)
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