CCL11 promotes angiogenic activity by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in HUVECs

SP140 inhibitor suppressing TRIM22 expression regulates glioma progress through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

SP gene family, consisting of SP100, SP110, SP140, and SP140L, has been implicated in the initiation and advancement of numerous malignancies. Nevertheless, their clinical significance in glioma remains incompletely understood.

METHOD

Expression levels and prognostic significance of SP family members were evaluated in the TCGA and CGGA datasets. Multifactorial analysis was used to identify SP gene family members that can independently impact the prognosis of glioma patients. A SP140-based predictive risk model/nomogram was developed in TCGA dataset and validated in CGGA dataset. The model's performance was evaluated through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, calibration plots, and decision curve analyses. Phenotypic associations of SP140 and TRIM22 were examined through CancerSEA and TIMER. The effect of SP140 inhibitor in glioma progress and TRIM22/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was confirmed in U251/U87 glioma cells.

RESULTS

The SP family members exhibited elevated expression in gliomas and were negatively correlated with prognosis. SP140 emerged as an independent prognostic factor, and a SP140-based nomogram/predictive risk model demonstrated high accuracy. SP140 inhibitor, GSK761, lead to the suppression of TRIM22 expression and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. GSK761 also restrain glioma proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, SP140 and TRIM22 coexpressed in glioma cells with high level of vascular proliferation, TRIM22 is closely associated with the immune cell infiltration.

CONCLUSION

SP140-based nomogram proved to be a practical tool for predicting the survival of glioma patients. SP140 inhibitor could suppress glioma progress via TRIM22/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Exploring CCL11 in breast cancer: unraveling its anticancer potential and immune modulatory effects involving the Akt-S6 signaling

BACKGROUND

CCL11, a chemokine known for recruiting immune cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME), has an unclear role in the context of its expression, patient prognosis, and the presence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TILs) in breast cancer.

METHODS

The expression of CCL11 in invasive breast cancer (BRCA) was analyzed using TCGA database. Survival curve and Cox regression analysis determined the potential of CCL11 as an independent prognostic indicator. GSEA performed functional analysis on genes related to CCL11. CIBERSORT algorithm quantified the infiltration level of immune cells with varying CCL11 expression. Lastly, the correlation between CCL11 expression and anticancer drug sensitivity was examined. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and qRT-PCR confirmed CCL11 expression in clinical tissue samples. The anti-tumor efficacy of CCL11 was investigated using CCK-8, plate formation, transwell assay, and Western blot.

RESULTS

CCL11 expression was elevated in BRCA tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was longer in patients with high expression of CCL11. Enrichment and co-expression analyses revealed CCL11's association with numerous immune-related signaling pathways and genes. Validation studies confirmed high CCL11 expression in breast cancer tissues. In vitro experiments substantiated CCL11's anticancer effects in BRCA.

CONCLUSION

CCL11 expression correlates with immune cell infiltration in breast cancer, indicating its potential as a prognostic biomarker for BRCA.

Daidzein alleviates osteoporosis by promoting osteogenesis and angiogenesis coupling

Background

Postmenopausal osteoporosis and osteoporosis-related fractures are world-wide serious public health problem. Recent studies demonstrated that inhibiting caveolin-1 leads to osteoclastogenesis suppression and protection against OVX-induced osteoporosis. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of caveolin-1 mediating bone loss and the potential therapeutic target.

Methods

Thirty C57BL/6 female mice were allocated randomly into three groups: sham or bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) surgeries were performed for mice and subsequently daidzein or vehicle was administrated to animals (control, OVX + vehicle and OVX + daidzein). After 8-week administration, femurs were harvested for Micro-CT scan, histological staining including H&E, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, TRAP. Bone marrow endothelial cells (BMECs) were cultured and treated with inhibitors of caveolin-1 (daidzein) or EGFR (erlotinib) and then scratch wound healing and ki67 assays were performed. In addition, cells were harvested for western blot and PCR analysis.

Results

Micro-CT showed inhibiting caveolin-1with daidzein alleviated OVX-induced osteoporosis and osteogenesis suppression. Further investigations revealed H-type vessels in cancellous bone were decreased in OVX-induced mice, which can be alleviated by daidzein. It was subsequently proved that daidzein improved migration and proliferation of BMECs hence improved H-type vessels formation through inhibiting caveolin-1, which suppressed EGFR/AKT/PI3K signaling in BMECs.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that daidzein alleviates OVX-induced osteoporosis by promoting H-type vessels formation in cancellous bone, which then promotes bone formation. Activating EGFR/AKT/PI3K signaling could be the critical reason.

Identification of potential angiogenic biomarkers in human follicular fluid for predicting oocyte maturity

Background

Angiogenesis in folliculogenesis contributes to oocyte developmental competence in natural and in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. Therefore, the identification of key angiogenic factors in follicular fluid (FF) during folliculogenesis is clinically significant and important for in vitro fertilization. This study aims to identify the key angiogenic factors in FF for predicting oocyte maturity during in vitro fertilization.

Materials and methods

Forty participants who received ovarian stimulation using a GnRH antagonist protocol in their first in vitro fertilization treatment were recruited. From each patient, two follicular samples (one preovulatory follicle, > 18 mm; one mid-antral follicle, < 14 mm) were collected without flushing during oocyte retrieval. In total, 80 FF samples were collected from 40 patients. The expression profiles of angiogenesis-related proteins in FF were analyzed via Luminex high-performance assays. Recorded patient data included antral follicle count, anti-müllerian hormone, age, and BMI. Serum samples were collected on menstrual cycle day 2, the trigger day, and the day of oocyte retrieval. Hormone concentrations including day 2 FSH/LH/E2/P4, trigger day E2/LH/P4, and retrieval day E2/LH/P4 were measured by chemiluminescence assay.

Results

Ten angiogenic factors were highly expressed in FF: eotaxin, Gro-α, IL-8, IP-10, MCP-1, MIG, PAI-1 (Serpin), VEGF-A, CXCL-6, and HGF. The concentrations of eotaxin, IL-8, MCP1, PAI-1, and VEGF-A were significantly higher in preovulatory follicles than those in mid-antral follicles, while the Gro-α and CXCL-6 expressional levels were lower in preovulatory than in mid-antral follicles (p < 0.05). Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that VEGF-A, eotaxin, and CXCL-6 were the three strongest predictors of oocyte maturity. The combination of VEGF-A and CXCL-6 predicted oocyte maturity with a higher sensitivity (91.7%) and specificity (72.7%) than other combinations.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that VEGF-A, eotaxin, and CXCL-6 concentrations in FF strongly correlate with oocyte maturity from the mid-antral to preovulatory stage. The combination of VEGF-A and CXCL-6 exhibits a relatively good prediction rate of oocyte maturity during in vitro fertilization.

Regulatory Networks, Management Approaches, and Emerging Treatments of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and diverse, involving multiple signaling pathways and cytokines from various organs. Hepatokines, stellakines, adipokines, and myokines secreted by hepatocytes, hepatic stellate cells, adipose tissue, and myocytes play an important role in the occurrence and development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) contributes to the progression of NAFLD by mediating liver inflammation, immune response, hepatocyte death, and later compensatory proliferation. In this review, we first discuss the crosstalk and interaction between hepatokines, stellakines, adipokines, and myokines and NF-κB in NAFLD. The characterization of the crosstalk of NF-κB with these factors will provide a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of NAFLD. In addition, we examine new expert management opinions for NAFLD and explore the therapeutic potential of silymarin in NAFLD/NASH.

A Comparative Analysis of the Wound Healing-Related Heterogeneity of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Donors

Adipose-derived Stem cells (ASCs) are on the verge of being available for large clinical trials in wound healing. However, for developing advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), potency assays mimicking the mode of action are required to control the product consistency of the cells. Thus, greater effort should go into the design of product assays. Therefore, we analyzed three ASC-based ATMPs from three different donors with respect to their surface markers, tri-lineage differentiation, proliferation, colony-forming unit capacity, and effect on fibroblast proliferation and migration, endothelial proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis. Furthermore, the transcriptome of all three cell products was analyzed through RNA-sequencing. Even though all products met the criteria by the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy and the International Federation for Adipose Therapeutics and Science, we found one product to be consistently superior to others when exploring their potency in the wound healing specific assays. Our results indicate that certain regulatory genes associated with extracellular matrix and angiogenesis could be used as markers of a superior ASC donor from which to use ASCs to treat chronic wounds. Having a panel of assays capable of predicting the potency of the product would ensure the patient receives the most potent product for a specific indication, which is paramount for successful patient treatment and acceptance from the healthcare system.

The roles of CC chemokines in response to radiation

Radiotherapy is an effective regimen for cancer treatment alone or combined with chemotherapy or immunotherapy. The direct effect of radiotherapy involves radiation-induced DNA damage, and most studies have focused on this area to improve the efficacy of radiotherapy. Recently, the immunomodulatory effect of radiation on the tumour microenvironment has attracted much interest. Dying tumour cells can release multiple immune-related molecules, including tumour-associated antigens, chemokines, and inflammatory mediators. Then, immune cells are attracted to the irradiated site, exerting immunostimulatory or immunosuppressive effects. CC chemokines play pivotal roles in the trafficking process. The CC chemokine family includes 28 members that attract different immune subsets. Upon irradiation, tumour cells or immune cells can release different CC chemokines. Here, we mainly discuss the importance of CCL2, CCL3, CCL5, CCL8, CCL11, CCL20 and CCL22 in radiotherapy. In irradiated normal tissues, released chemokines induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition, thus promoting tissue injury. In the tumour microenvironment, released chemokines recruit cancer-associated cells, such as tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumour-associated macrophages, to the tumour niche. Thus, CC chemokines have protumour and antitumour properties. Based on the complex roles of CC chemokines in the response to radiation, it would be promising to target specific chemokines to alleviate radiation-induced injury or promote tumour control.

Thy-1 (CD90), Integrins and Syndecan 4 are Key Regulators of Skin Wound Healing

Acute skin wound healing is a multistage process consisting of a plethora of tightly regulated signaling events in specialized cells. The Thy-1 (CD90) glycoprotein interacts with integrins and the heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecan 4, generating a trimolecular complex that triggers bi-directional signaling to regulate diverse aspects of the wound healing process. These proteins can act either as ligands or receptors, and they are critical for the successful progression of wound healing. The expression of Thy-1, integrins, and syndecan 4 is controlled during the healing process, and the lack of expression of any of these proteins results in delayed wound healing. Here, we review and discuss the roles and regulatory events along the stages of wound healing that support the relevance of Thy-1, integrins, and syndecan 4 as crucial regulators of skin wound healing.

Intranasal insulin modulates cerebrospinal fluid markers of neuroinflammation in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a randomized trial

Intranasal insulin (INI) has shown promise as a treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in pilot clinical trials. In a recent phase 2 trial, participants with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD who were treated with INI with one of two delivery devices showed improved cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) biomarker profiles and slower symptom progression compared with placebo. In the cohort which showed benefit, we measured changes in CSF markers of inflammation, immune function and vascular integrity and assessed their relationship with changes in cognition, brain volume, and CSF amyloid and tau concentrations. The insulin-treated group had increased CSF interferon-γ (p = 0.032) and eotaxin (p = 0.049), and reduced interleukin-6 (p = 0.048) over the 12 month trial compared to placebo. Trends were observed for increased CSF macrophage-derived chemokine for the placebo group (p = 0.083), and increased interleukin-2 in the insulin-treated group (p = 0.093). Insulin-treated and placebo groups showed strikingly different patterns of associations between changes in CSF immune/inflammatory/vascular markers and changes in cognition, brain volume, and amyloid and tau concentrations. In summary, INI treatment altered the typical progression of markers of inflammation and immune function seen in AD, suggesting that INI may promote a compensatory immune response associated with therapeutic benefit.

Elevated serum eotaxin and IP-10 levels as potential biomarkers for the detection of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Background and Aims

Esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC) is one of the leading malignant cancers with a high incidence and mortality. Exploring novel serum biomarkers will help improve the management and monitoring of ESCC.

Methods

In the present study, we first used a ProcartaPlex Array to screen for serum proteins that were increased in 40 ESCC patients compared with matched normal controls; we found that eight proteins (IL‐2, IL‐5, IP‐10, IL‐8, eotaxin, TNF‐α, HGF, and MIP‐1b) had higher serum levels in ESCC patients than in normal controls. We further verified the clinical relevance of the candidate biomarkers with a larger sample of sera.

Results

In the 174 tested ESCC patients and 189 normal controls, the serum levels of eotaxin and IP‐10 were significantly higher in patients than in normal controls (p = 0.0038, 0.0031). In particular, these two proteins were also elevated in the sera of patients with early‐stage (0‐IIA) ESCC (p = 0.0041, 0.0412). When combining CEA and CYFRA21‐1 (in use clinically) with eotaxin or IP‐10, the effectiveness of detecting ESCC was superior to that of CEA and/or CYFRA21‐1 alone. Moreover, the serum level of eotaxin dropped significantly after surgical resection of primary tumors compared with that in preoperative ESCC samples (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The data suggest that serum eotaxin and IP‐10 might be potential biomarkers for the detection of ESCC.

Pro- and Antiangiogenic Factors in Gliomas: Implications for Novel Therapeutic Possibilities

Angiogenesis, a complex, multistep process of forming new blood vessels, plays crucial role in normal development, embryogenesis, and wound healing. Malignant tumors characterized by increased proliferation also require new vasculature to provide an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients for developing tumor. Gliomas are among the most frequent primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), characterized by increased new vessel formation. The processes of neoangiogenesis, necessary for glioma development, are mediated by numerous growth factors, cytokines, chemokines and other proteins. In contrast to other solid tumors, some biological conditions, such as the blood–brain barrier and the unique interplay between immune microenvironment and tumor, represent significant challenges in glioma therapy. Therefore, the objective of the study was to present the role of various proangiogenic factors in glioma angiogenesis as well as the differences between normal and tumoral angiogenesis. Another goal was to present novel therapeutic options in oncology approaches. We performed a thorough search via the PubMed database. In this paper we describe various proangiogenic factors in glioma vasculature development. The presented paper also reviews various antiangiogenic factors necessary in maintaining equilibrium between pro- and antiangiogenic processes. Furthermore, we present some novel possibilities of antiangiogenic therapy in this type of tumors.

The progress of chemokines and chemokine receptors in autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders and the main symptoms of ASD are impairments in social communication and abnormal behavioral patterns. Studies have shown that immune dysfunction and neuroinflammation play a key role in ASD patients and experimental models. Chemokines are groups of small proteins that regulate cell migration and mediate inflammation responses via binding to chemokine receptors. Thus, chemokines/chemokine receptors may be involved in neurodevelopmental disorders and associated with ASD. In this review, we summarize the research progress of chemokine aberrations in ASD and also review the recent progress of clinical treatment of ASD and pharmacological research related to chemokines/chemokine receptors. This review highlights the possible connection between chemokines/chemokine receptors and ASD, and provides novel potential targets for drug discovery of ASD.

Eotaxin-1/CCL11 is involved in cell migration in rheumatoid arthritis

Eotaxin-1 (CCL11) induces the migration of different leukocyte types by interacting with CCR3. In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) are pathogenic effectors and a major CCR3-expressing cell. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and function of CCL11 in RA FLS. The expression of CCL11 and CCR3 was evaluated by ELISA, immunofluorescence and quantitative PCR analysis. The CCL11 levels in serum and synovial fluids (SFs) from RA patients were significantly higher than those in serum from healthy controls and SFs from osteoarthritis patients. CCL11 and CCR3 were expressed in the RA synovial tissue lining layers. The secretion of CCL11 in RA FLS-conditioned medium and the mRNA expression of CCL11 and CCR3 were induced by TNF-α. Furthermore, CCL11 induced the mRNA expression of CCL11 and CCR3. Application of a CCR3 antagonist reduced TNF-α-induced CCL11 secretion from RA FLS. CCL11 induced the migration of RA FLS and monocytes. RA FLS migration was decreased by treatment with CCL11 siRNA. The migration of monocytes to medium conditioned with CCL11 siRNA-transfected and TNF-α-stimulated RA FLS was reduced. These data indicate that the self-amplification of CCL11 via CCR3 may play an important role in cell migration in RA.

Therapeutic Potential of Pharmacological Targeting NLRP3 Inflammasome Complex in Cancer

Introduction

Dysregulation of NLRP3 inflammasome complex formation can promote chronic inflammation by increased release of IL-1β. However, the effect of NLRP3 complex formation on tumor progression remains controversial. Therefore, we sought to determine the effect of NLRP3 modulation on the growth of the different types of cancer cells, derived from lung, breast, and prostate cancers as well as neuroblastoma and glioblastoma in-vitro.

Method

The effect of Caspase 1 inhibitor (VX765) and combination of LPS/Nigericin on NLRP3 inflammasome activity was analyzed in A549 (lung cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer), PC3 (prostate cancer), SH-SY5Y (neuroblastoma), and U138MG (glioblastoma) cells. Human fibroblasts were used as control cells. The effect of VX765 and LPS/Nigericin on NLRP3 expression was analyzed using western blot, while IL-1β and IL-18 secretion was detected by ELISA. Tumor cell viability and progression were determined using Annexin V, cell proliferation assay, LDH assay, sphere formation assay, transmission electron microscopy, and a multiplex cytokine assay. Also, angiogenesis was investigated by a tube formation assay. VEGF and MMPs secretion were detected by ELISA and a multiplex assay, respectively. Statistical analysis was done using one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s analyses and Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance.

Results

LPS/Nigericin increased NRLP3 protein expression as well as IL-1β and IL-18 secretion in PC3 and U138MG cells compared to A549, MCF7, SH-SY5Y cells, and fibroblasts. In contrast, MIF expression was commonly found upregulated in A549, PC3, SH-SY5Y, and U138MG cells and fibroblasts after Nigericin treatment. Nigericin and a combination of LPS/Nigericin decreased the cell viability and proliferation. Also, LPS/Nigericin significantly increased tumorsphere size in PC3 and U138MG cells. In contrast, the sphere size was reduced in MCF7 and SH-SY5Y cells treated with LPS/Nigericin, while no effect was detected in A549 cells. VX765 increased secretion of CCL24 in A549, MCF7, PC3, and fibroblasts as well as CCL11 and CCL26 in SH-SY5Y cells. Also, VX765 significantly increased the production of VEGF and MMPs and stimulated angiogenesis in all tumor cell lines.

Discussion

Our data suggest that NLRP3 activation using Nigericin could be a novel therapeutic approach to control the growth of tumors producing a low level of IL-1β and IL-18.

CC Chemokines in a Tumor: A Review of Pro-Cancer and Anti-Cancer Properties of the Ligands of Receptors CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, and CCR4

CC chemokines, a subfamily of 27 chemotactic cytokines, are a component of intercellular communication, which is crucial for the functioning of the tumor microenvironment. Although many individual chemokines have been well researched, there has been no comprehensive review presenting the role of all known human CC chemokines in the hallmarks of cancer, and this paper aims at filling this gap. The first part of this review discusses the importance of CCL1, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL18, CCL19, CCL20, CCL21, CCL25, CCL27, and CCL28 in cancer. Here, we discuss the significance of CCL2 (MCP-1), CCL7, CCL8, CCL11, CCL13, CCL14, CCL15, CCL16, CCL17, CCL22, CCL23, CCL24, and CCL26. The presentation of each chemokine includes its physiological function and then the role in tumor, including proliferation, drug resistance, migration, invasion, and organ-specific metastasis of tumor cells, as well as the effects on angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. We also discuss the effects of each CC chemokine on the recruitment of cancer-associated cells to the tumor niche (eosinophils, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), tumor-associated macrophages (TAM), tumor-associated neutrophils (TAN), regulatory T cells (T_reg)). On the other hand, we also present the anti-cancer properties of CC chemokines, consisting in the recruitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL).

Costimulatory Effect of Rough Calcium Phosphate Coating and Blood Mononuclear Cells on Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro as a Model of In Vivo Tissue Repair

Calcium phosphate (CaP) materials do not always induce ectopic vascularization and bone formation; the reasons remain unclear, and there are active discussions of potential roles for post-implantation hematoma, circulating immune and stem cells, and pericytes, but studies on adipose-derived stem cells (AMSCs) in this context are lacking. The rough (average surface roughness R_a = 2-5 µm) scaffold-like CaP coating deposited on pure titanium plates by the microarc oxidation method was used to investigate its subcutaneous vascularization in CBA/CaLac mice and in vitro effect on cellular and molecular crosstalk between human blood mononuclear cells (hBMNCs) and AMSCs (hAMSCs). Postoperative hematoma development on the CaP surface lasting 1-3 weeks may play a key role in the microvessel elongation and invasion into the CaP relief at the end of the 3rd week of injury and BMNC migration required for enhanced wound healing in mice. Satisfactory osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation but poor adipogenic differentiation of hAMSCs on the rough CaP surface were detected in vitro by differential cell staining. The fractions of CD73⁺ (62%), CD90⁺ (0.24%), and CD105⁺ (0.41%) BMNCs may be a source of autologous circulating stem/progenitor cells for the subcutis reparation, but allogenic hBMNC participation is mainly related to the effects of CD4⁺ T cells co-stimulated with CaP coating on the in vitro recruitment of hAMSCs, their secretion of angiogenic and osteomodulatory molecules, and the increase in osteogenic features within the period of in vivo vascularization. Cellular and molecular crosstalk between BMNCs and AMSCs is a model of effective subcutis repair. Rough CaP surface enhanced angio- and osteogenic signaling between cells. We believe that preconditioning and/or co-transplantation of hAMSCs with hBMNCs may broaden their potential in applications related to post-implantation tissue repair and bone bioengineering caused by microarc CaP coating.

Hypoxia Alters the Expression of CC Chemokines and CC Chemokine Receptors in a Tumor-A Literature Review

Hypoxia, i.e., oxygen deficiency condition, is one of the most important factors promoting the growth of tumors. Since its effect on the chemokine system is crucial in understanding the changes in the recruitment of cells to a tumor niche, in this review we have gathered all the available data about the impact of hypoxia on β chemokines. In the introduction, we present the chronic (continuous, non-interrupted) and cycling (intermittent, transient) hypoxia together with the mechanisms of activation of hypoxia inducible factors (HIF-1 and HIF-2) and NF-κB. Then we describe the effect of hypoxia on the expression of chemokines with the CC motif: CCL1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL7, CCL8, CCL11, CCL13, CCL15, CCL16, CCL17, CCL18, CCL19, CCL20, CCL21, CCL22, CCL24, CCL25, CCL26, CCL27, CCL28 together with CC chemokine receptors: CCR1, CCR2, CCR3, CCR4, CCR5, CCR6, CCR7, CCR8, CCR9, and CCR10. To better understand the effect of hypoxia on neoplastic processes and changes in the expression of the described proteins, we summarize the available data in a table which shows the effect of individual chemokines on angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, and recruitment of eosinophils, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), regulatory T cells (T_reg), and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) to a tumor niche.

The Role of Selected Chemokines and Their Receptors in the Development of Gliomas

Among heterogeneous primary tumors of the central nervous system (CNS), gliomas are the most frequent type, with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) characterized with the worst prognosis. In their development, certain chemokine/receptor axes play important roles and promote proliferation, survival, metastasis, and neoangiogenesis. However, little is known about the significance of atypical receptors for chemokines (ACKRs) in these tumors. The objective of the study was to present the role of chemokines and their conventional and atypical receptors in CNS tumors. Therefore, we performed a thorough search for literature concerning our investigation via the PubMed database. We describe biological functions of chemokines/chemokine receptors from various groups and their significance in carcinogenesis, cancer-related inflammation, neo-angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis. Furthermore, we discuss the role of chemokines in glioma development, with particular regard to their function in the transition from low-grade to high-grade tumors and angiogenic switch. We also depict various chemokine/receptor axes, such as CXCL8-CXCR1/2, CXCL12-CXCR4, CXCL16-CXCR6, CX3CL1-CX3CR1, CCL2-CCR2, and CCL5-CCR5 of special importance in gliomas, as well as atypical chemokine receptors ACKR1-4, CCRL2, and PITPMN3. Additionally, the diagnostic significance and usefulness of the measurement of some chemokines and their receptors in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of glioma patients is also presented.

Towards Cell free Therapy of Premature Ovarian Insufficiency: Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Secretome Enhances Angiogenesis in Human Ovarian Microvascular Endothelial Cells

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) refers to an ovarian loss of function in women under the age of 40. Unfortunately, currently, there is no effective treatment available for POI-related infertility. Alternatives such as the use of egg donations are culturally and ethically unacceptable to many couples. Human Bone marrow-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are known for their ability to differentiate into other cell types, once primed by the organ microenvironment. Importantly MSCs produce a vast array of bioactive factors many of them have been shown to enhance neovascularization in various tissues. Recently, preliminary data from our ongoing clinical trial revealed encouraging preliminary data after autologous MSC engraftment into the ovaries of 2 POI patients with durable elevation in serum estrogen levels and increase in size of treated ovaries sustained up to one-year post cell therapy.

In this study, we investigated the action of the mechanisms of MSCs treatment on a POI ovary. We designed an in vitro study using MSC secretome and Human Ovarian Endothelial Cells (HOVECs) to understand the molecular mechanisms by which MSC mediates their angiogenic properties and regenerative effects. Human primary HOVECs were treatment with MSC secretome and examined by FACS for the expression of angiogenesis markers such as Endoglin, Tie-2, and VEGF. The formation of vessels was evaluated by using a 3D Matrigel tubulogenesis assay.

We observed that the expression of proliferation marker Ki67 was significantly increased under treatment with MSC secretome in HOVEC cells (P4). MSCs secretome treatment also induced significantly higher expression of several angiogenic markers such as VEGFR2, Tie2/Tek, VE-Cadherin, Endoglin, and VEGF compared to matched control (P4). Furthermore, MSC secretome significantly increased the number of branching points in tubulogenesis assay (P4). Our study suggests that MSC secretome likely contains bioactive factors that can enhance ovarian angiogenesis. Further characterization of these factors can lead to novel therapeutic options for women with premature ovarian insufficiency and other related causes of female infertility.

Exosome-Guided Phenotypic Switch of M1 to M2 Macrophages for Cutaneous Wound Healing

Macrophages (Mϕs) critically contribute to wound healing by coordinating inflammatory, proliferative, and angiogenic processes. A proper switch from proinflammatory M1 to anti-inflammatory M2 dominant Mϕs accelerates the wound healing processes leading to favorable wound-care outcomes. Herein, an exosome-guided cell reprogramming technique is proposed to directly convert M1 to M2 Mϕs for effective wound management. The M2 Mϕ-derived exosomes (M2-Exo) induce a complete conversion of M1 to M2 Mϕs in vitro. The reprogrammed M2 Mϕs turn Arginase (M2-marker) and iNOS (M1-marker) on and off, respectively, and exhibit distinct phenotypic and functional features of M2 Mϕs. M2-Exo has not only Mϕ reprogramming factors but also various cytokines and growth factors promoting wound repair. After subcutaneous administration of M2-Exo into the wound edge, the local populations of M1 and M2 Mϕs are markedly decreased and increased, respectively, showing a successful exosome-guided switch to M2 Mϕ polarization. The direct conversion of M1 to M2 Mϕs at the wound site accelerates wound healing by enhancing angiogenesis, re-epithelialization, and collagen deposition. The Mϕ phenotype switching induced by exosomes possessing the excellent cell reprogramming capability and innate biocompatibility can be a promising therapeutic approach for various inflammation-associated disorders by regulating the balance between pro- versus anti-inflammatory Mϕs.