Pathogenetic role and clinical significance of interleukin-1β in cancer

Interleukin-1β Inhibits Ovarian Cancer Cell Proliferation and Metastasis Through the MAPK/MMP12 Pathway

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a gynecological tumor with high mortality. Despite aggressive treatment, survival rates for patients with advanced EOC are low, and more effective methods of diagnosis and treatment are urgently needed. Inflammation and cancer are strongly associated; however, the mechanisms that mediate this relationship are not fully understood. In this study, we found that the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a proinflammatory cytokine, increased in an ovarian cancer tissue microarray (TMA) and inhibited A2780 and SKOV3 cell viability and metastasis. Recombinant IL-1β protein and the overexpression of IL-1β decreased the proliferation and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. IL-1β deficiency promoted proliferation and metastasis. Moreover, transcriptome sequencing revealed that IL-1β downregulates the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12). The signaling pathway involving MAPK/AP-1/MMP12 is involved in IL-1β-regulated ovarian cancer progression. Overall, we found that the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β inhibits ovarian cancer cell viability and metastasis. These findings provided deeper insights into inflammation and cancer progression.

Association between serum levels of 12 different cytokines and short-term efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a poor prognosis, with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) being a key treatment method. This study focused on circulating cytokines as potential predictors of treatment response and prognosis in patients with ESCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Serum samples were collected from 36 ESCC patients, and 12 different cytokines were quantified using a multiplex immunofluorescence assay. We used non-parametric Wilcoxon unpaired rank tests to examine the relationship between cytokine concentrations and clinical outcomes. The duration of progression-free survival was assessed through imaging studies and telephone follow-ups. Kaplan-Meier survival plots, analyzed with the log-rank test, were utilized to depict survival trends.

RESULTS

Pre-treatment serum IL-8 levels were significantly elevated in patients with lymphoid metastases (p = 0.036). Lower initial levels of IL-8 and IL-1β were observed in patients with partial response group compared to those with stable disease (p = 0.002, p = 0.01). Elevated baseline levels of IL-8 and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) were correlated with a poorer prognosis. Higher levels of IL-5 and IFN-γ levels following therapy were associated with worse outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that IL-8, IL-1β, IL-5, and IFN-γ may serve as potential biomarkers for treatment efficacy and prognosis in ESCC. Patients with low levels of IL-8 and IL-1β demonstrate a favorable response to CRT. Elevated serum levels of IL-8, IL-1β, IFN-γ, and IL-5 may predict poorer clinical outcomes.

Serum α1-AT Levels and SERPINA1 Molecular Analysis in Breast Cancer: An Experimental and Computational Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease with multifactorial origins, including environmental, genetic, and immunological factors. Inflammatory cytokines, such as alpha 1 antitrypsin (α1-AT), are increased in BC and affect physiological and pathological conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the serum levels of α1-AT and perform a computational analysis of SERPINA1 in BC, as well as their association with molecular subtypes and clinical features.

METHODS

For the experimental analysis, we evaluated 255 women with BC and 53 healthy women (HW) in a cross-sectional study. Molecular subtypes were identified by immunohistochemistry and TNM was used for clinical staging. Soluble levels of α1-AT were quantified by ELISA. Computational analysis of SERPINA1 expression was performed using GEPIA and cBioPortal.

RESULTS

α1-AT was increased in BC women versus HW (75.8 ng/mL vs. 532.2 ng/mL). Luminal A had higher concentration (547.5 ng/mL) than Triple Negative (TN) (484.1 ng/mL), but the levels were not associated with clinical stage. The computational analysis showed that SERPINA1 is overexpressed in BC with differential expression among subtypes; its overexpression is associated with a better prognosis, longer disease-free survival, and overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

α1-AT levels are increased in women with BC women compared to HW. The Luminal A subtype shows higher soluble protein levels than the TN one. Furthermore, SERPINA1 mRNA overexpression in BC is linked to a protective effect.

Immunomodulation of human T cells by microbubble-mediated focused ultrasound

While met with initial and ground-breaking success targeting blood borne cancers, cellular immunotherapy remains significantly hindered in the context of solid tumors by the tumor microenvironment. Focused ultrasound, in conjunction with microbubbles, has found tremendous potential as a targeted and local drug/gene delivery technique for cancer therapy. The specific immunomodulating effects of this technique on immune cells, including T-cells, remain unexplored. Here, with freshly isolated human immune cells, we examine how focused ultrasound can viably modulate immune cell membrane permeability and influence the secretion of over 90 cytokines, chemokines and other analytes relevant to a potent immune response against cancer. We determine that microbubble-mediated focused ultrasound modulates the immune cell secretome in a time-dependent manner - ranging in ~0.1-3.6-fold changes in the concentration of a given cytokine compared to sham controls over 48 hours post-treatment (e.g. IL-1β, TNF-α, CX3CL1, CCL21). Further, we determine the general trend of a negative correlation between secreted cytokine concentration and viable ultrasound-assisted membrane permeability with negligible loss of cell viability. Taken together, the data presented here highlights the potential of microbubble-mediated focused ultrasound to viably enhance T-cell permeability and modulate key pro-immune pathways, offering a novel approach to augment targeted cellular therapies for solid tumors.

Mechanistic Insights on Microbiota-Mediated Development and Progression of Esophageal Cancer

Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide, and its two major types, esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), present a severe global public health problem with an increasing incidence and mortality. Established risk factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, and dietary habits, but recent research has highlighted the substantial role of oral microbiota in EC pathogenesis. This review explores the intricate relationship between the microbiome and esophageal carcinogenesis, focusing on the following eight significant mechanisms: chronic inflammation, microbial dysbiosis, production of carcinogenic metabolites, direct interaction with epithelial cells, epigenetic modifications, interaction with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), metabolic changes, and angiogenesis. Certain harmful bacteria, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum, are specifically implicated in sustaining irritation and tumor progression through pathways including NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome. Additionally, the review explores how microbial byproducts, including short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), contribute to DNA harm and disease advancement. Furthermore, the impact of reflux on microbiota composition and its role in esophageal carcinogenesis is evaluated. By combining epidemiological data with mechanistic understanding, this review underscores the potential to target the microbiota-immune system interplay for novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to prevent and treat esophageal cancer.

Autophagy-mediated activation of the AIM2 inflammasome enhances M1 polarization of microglia and exacerbates retinal neovascularization

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a retinal neovascularization (RNV) disease that is characterized by abnormal blood vessel development in the retina. Importantly, the etiology of ROP remains understudied. We re-analyzed previously published single-cell data and discovered a strong correlation between microglia and RNV diseases, particularly ROP. Subsequently, we found that reactive oxygen species reduced autophagy-dependent protein degradation of absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) in hypoxic BV2 cells, leading to increased AIM2 protein accumulation. Furthermore, we engineered AIM2 knockout mice and observed that the RNV was significantly reduced compared to wild-type mice. In vitro vascular function assays also demonstrated diminished angiogenic capabilities following AIM2 knockdown in hypoxic BV2 cells. Mechanistically, AIM2 enhanced the M1-type polarization of microglia via the ASC/CASP1/IL-1β pathway, resulting in RNV. Notably, the administration of recombinant protein IL-1β exacerbated angiogenesis, while its inhibition ameliorated the condition. Taken together, our study provides a novel therapeutic target for ROP and offers insight into the interaction between pyroptosis and autophagy.

Pharmacological blockade of HDAC6 attenuates cancer progression by inhibiting IL-1β and modulating immunosuppressive response in OSCC

Interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β) one of the biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is upregulated in tumor-microenvironment (TME) and associated with poor patient survival. Thus, a novel modulator of IL-1β would be of great therapeutic value for OSCC treatment. Here we report regulation of IL-1β and TME by histone deacetylase-6 (HDAC6)-inhibitor in OSCC. We observed significant upregulation of HDAC6 in 4-nitroquniline (4-NQO)-induced OSCC in mice and 4-NQO & Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated OSCC and fibroblast cells. Tubastatin A (TSA)-attenuated the OSCC progression in mice as observed improvement in the histology over tongue and esophagus, with reduced tumor burden. TSA treatment to 4-NQO mice attenuated protein expression of HDAC6, pro-and-mature-IL-1β and pro-and-cleaved-caspase-1 and ameliorated acetylated-tubulin. In support of our experimental work, human TCGA analysis revealed HDAC6 and IL-1β were upregulated in the primary tumor, with different tumor stages and grades. We found TSA modulate TME, indicated by downregulation of CD11b+Gr1+-Myeloid-derived suppressor cells, CD11b+F4/80+CD206+ M2-macrophages and increase in CD11b+F4/80+MHCII+ M1-macrophages. TSA significantly reduced the gene expression of HDAC6, IL-1β, Arginase-1 and iNOS in isolated splenic-MDSCs. FaDu-HTB-43 and NIH3T3 cells stimulated with LPS and 4-NQO exhibit higher IL-1β levels in the supernatant. Interestingly, immunoblot analysis of the cell lysate, we observed that TSA does not alter the expression as well as activation of IL-1β and caspase-1 but the acetylated-tubulin was found to be increased. Nocodazole pre-treatment proved that TSA inhibited the lysosomal exocytosis of IL-1β through tubulin acetylation. In conclusion, HDAC6 inhibitors attenuated TME and cancer progression through the regulation of IL-1β in OSCC.

Transcriptomic Integration Analyses Uncover Common Bisphenol A Effects Across Species and Tissues Primarily Mediated by Disruption of JUN/FOS, EGFR, ER, PPARG, and P53 Pathways

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a common endocrine disruptor widely used in the production of electronic, sports, and medical equipment, as well as consumer products like milk bottles, dental sealants, and thermal paper. Despite its widespread use, current assessments of BPA exposure risks remain limited due to the lack of comprehensive cross-species comparative analyses. To address this gap, we conducted a study aimed at identifying genes and fundamental molecular processes consistently affected by BPA in various species and tissues, employing an effective data integration method and bioinformatic analyses. Our findings revealed that exposure to BPA led to significant changes in processes like lipid metabolism, proliferation, and apoptosis in the tissues/cells of mammals, fish, and nematodes. These processes were found to be commonly affected in adipose, liver, mammary, uterus, testes, and ovary tissues. Additionally, through an in-depth analysis of signaling pathways influenced by BPA in different species and tissues, we observed that the JUN/FOS, EGFR, ER, PPARG, and P53 pathways, along with their downstream key transcription factors and kinases, were all impacted by BPA. Our study provides compelling evidence that BPA indeed induces similar toxic effects across different species and tissues. Furthermore, our investigation sheds light on the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for these toxic effects. By uncovering these mechanisms, we gain valuable insights into the potential health implications associated with BPA exposure, highlighting the importance of comprehensive assessments and awareness of this widespread endocrine disruptor.

Altered insulin sensitivity and immune function in patients with colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Insulin resistance and chronic inflammation have been reported in patients with cancer. However, many of the underlying mechanisms and associations are yet to be unveiled. We examined both the level of insulin sensitivity and markers of inflammation in patients with colorectal cancer for comparison to controls.

METHODS

Clinical exploratory study of patients with colorectal cancer (n = 20) and matched controls (n = 10). Insulin sensitivity was quantified using the hyperinsulinemic normoglycemic clamp and blood samples were taken for quantification of several key, both intra- and extracellular, inflammatory markers. We analysed the differences in these parameters between the two groups.

RESULTS

Patients exhibited both insulin resistance (M-value, patients median (Mdn) 4.57 interquartile range (IQR) 3.49-5.75; controls Mdn 5.79 (IQR 5.20-6.81), p = 0.049), as well as increased plasma levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β (patients Mdn 0.48 (IQR 0.33-0.58); controls Mdn 0.36 (IQR 0.29-0.42), p = 0.02) and IL-6 (patients Mdn 3.21 (IQR 2.31-4.93); controls Mdn 2.16 (IQR 1.50-2.65), p = 0.02). The latter is present despite an almost two to three fold decrease (p < 0.01) in caspase-1 activity, a facilitating enzyme of IL-1β production, within circulating immune cells.

CONCLUSION

Patients with colorectal cancer displayed insulin resistance and higher levels of plasma IL-1β and IL-6, in comparison to matched healthy controls. The finding of a seemingly disconnect between inflammasome (caspase-1) activity and plasma levels of key pro-inflammatory cytokines in cancer patients may suggest that, in parallel to dysregulated immune cells, tumour-driven inflammatory pathways also are in effect.

Inhibition of autophagy in macrophage promotes IL-1β-mediated hepatocellular carcinoma progression via inflammasome accumulation and self-recruitment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a complex and changeable tumor microenvironment. Despite emerging evidence focusing on autophagy process within immune cells, the function and regulatory mechanism of macrophage autophagy in tumor progression remains unclear. Our results of multiplex-immunohistochemistry and RNA-sequencing identified the reduced levels of autophagy in tumor macrophages in the HCC microenvironment, associated with a poor prognosis and increased microvascular metastasis in HCC patients. Specifically, HCC suppressed the macrophage autophagy initiation through the up-regulation of mTOR and ULK1 phosphorylation at Ser757. Knockdown of autophagy-related proteins to further inhibit autophagy significantly boosted the metastatic potential of HCC. Mechanistically, the accumulation of NLRP3 inflammasome mediated by autophagy inhibition promoted the cleavage, maturation, and release of IL-1β, which facilitated the HCC progression, eventually accelerating HCC metastasis via the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Autophagy inhibition provoked macrophage self-recruitment through the CCL20-CCR6 signaling was also a crucial account of HCC progression. Recruited macrophages mediated the cascade amplification of IL-1β and CCL20 to form a novel pro-metastatic positive feedback loop through promoting HCC metastasis and increased macrophage recruitment, respectively. Notably, targeting IL-1β/IL-1 receptor signaling impaired lung metastasis induced by macrophage autophagy inhibition in a mice HCC lung metastasis model. In summary, this study highlighted that inhibition of tumor macrophage autophagy facilitated HCC progression by increasing IL-1β secretion via NLRP3 inflammasome accumulation and by macrophage self-recruitment through the CCL20 signaling pathway. Interruption of this metastasis-promoting loop by IL-1β blockade may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC patients.

Manipulation of the crosstalk between tumor angiogenesis and immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment: Insight into the combination therapy of anti-angiogenesis and immune checkpoint blockade

Immunotherapy has been recognized as an effective and important therapeutic modality for multiple types of cancer. Nevertheless, it has been increasing recognized that clinical benefits of immunotherapy are less than expected as evidenced by the fact that only a small population of cancer patients respond favorably to immunotherapy. The structurally and functionally abnormal tumor vasculature is a hallmark of most solid tumors and contributes to an immunosuppressive microenvironment, which poses a major challenge to immunotherapy. In turn, multiple immune cell subsets have profound consequences on promoting neovascularization. Vascular normalization, a promising anti-angiogenic strategy, can enhance vascular perfusion and promote the infiltration of immune effector cells into tumors via correcting aberrant tumor blood vessels, resulting in the potentiation of immunotherapy. More interestingly, immunotherapies are prone to boost the efficacy of various anti-angiogenic therapies and/or promote the morphological and functional alterations in tumor vasculature. Therefore, immune reprograming and vascular normalization appear to be reciprocally regulated. In this review, we mainly summarize how tumor vasculature propels an immunosuppressive phenotype and how innate and adaptive immune cells modulate angiogenesis during tumor progression. We further highlight recent advances of anti-angiogenic immunotherapies in preclinical and clinical settings to solidify the concept that targeting both tumor blood vessels and immune suppressive cells provides an efficacious approach for the treatment of cancer.

Inflammation-Driven Regulation of PD-L1 and PD-L2, and Their Cross-Interactions with Protective Soluble TNFα Receptors in Human Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Pro-inflammatory cytokines play key roles in elevating cancer progression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We demonstrate that specific combinations between TNFα, IL-1β and IFNγ up-regulated the proportion of human TNBC cells co-expressing the inhibitory immune checkpoints PD-L1 and PD-L2: TNFα + IL-1β in MDA-MB-231 cells and IFNγ + IL-1β in BT-549 cells; in the latter cells, the process depended entirely on STAT1 activation, with no involvement of p65 (CRISPR-Cas9 experiments). Highly significant associations between the pro-inflammatory cytokines and PD-L1/PD-L2 expression were revealed in the TCGA dataset of basal-like breast cancer patients. In parallel, we found that the pro-inflammatory cytokines regulated the expression of the soluble receptors of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), namely sTNFR1 and sTNFR2; moreover, we revealed that sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 serve as anti-metastatic and protective factors in TNBC, reducing the TNFα-induced production of inflammatory pro-metastatic chemokines (CXCL8, CXCL1, CCL5) by TNBC cells. Importantly, we found that in the context of inflammatory stimulation and also without exposure to pro-inflammatory cytokines, elevated levels of PD-L1 have down-regulated the production of anti-tumor sTNFR1 and sTNFR2. These findings suggest that in addition to its immune-suppressive activities, PD-L1 may promote disease course in TNBC by inhibiting the protective effects of sTNFR1 and sTNFR2.