ACSL6-activated IL-18R1-NF-κB promotes IL-18-mediated tumor immune evasion and tumor progression

Identification of biomarkers associated with inflammatory response in Parkinson's disease by bioinformatics and machine learning

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common and debilitating neurodegenerative disorder. The inflammatory response is essential in the pathogenesis and progression of PD. The goal of this study is to combine bioinformatics and machine learning to screen for biomarker genes related to the inflammatory response in PD. First, differentially expressed genes associated with inflammatory response were screened, PPI networks were constructed and enriched for analysis. LASSO, SVM-RFE and Random Forest algorithms were used to screen biomarker genes. Then, ROC curves were drawn and PD risk predicting models were constructed on the basis of the biomarker genes. Finally, drug sensitivity analysis, mRNA-miRNA network construction and single-cell transcriptome data analysis were performed. The experimental results showed that we screened 31 differentially expressed genes related to inflammatory response. Signaling pathways such as cytokine activity were associated with these genes. Three biomarkers were identified using machine learning algorithms: IL18R1, NMUR1 and RELA. Seventeen co-associated miRNAs were identified by the mRNA-miRNA network as possible regulatory nodes in PD. Finally, these three biomarkers were found to be closely associated with T cells, Endothelial cells, excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, and other cells in single-cell transcriptomic analysis. In conclusion, IL18R1, NMUR1 and RELA could be potential therapeutic targets for PD in inflammatory response and new biomarkers for PD diagnosis.

Proteotranscriptomics Analysis Reveals the Key Pathways and Genes Involved in Apigenin's Anti-Liver Fibrosis Effects

Liver fibrosis is a global health issue with limited treatments. While apigenin has demonstrated potential in alleviating liver fibrosis, its mechanisms remain unclear. This study employed an integrated proteotranscriptomic approach to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying apigenin's protective effects against CCl4-induced liver fibrosis. Liver tissues from mice with CCl4-induced fibrosis treated with different doses of apigenin (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) were analyzed using transcriptomics and proteomics. Results demonstrated dose-dependent antifibrotic effects of apigenin. Notably, numerous genes and proteins were inversely regulated by CCl4 and apigenin, with generally low and variable mRNA-protein abundance correlations. We identified 82 biological processes or molecular functions that were inversely regulated by CCl4 and high-dose apigenin at both mRNA and protein levels. Among the 48 key proteins (KPs) involved, 11 and 14 KPs correlated with liver fibrosis in mouse and human data sets, respectively. Six KPs maintained consistent correlations with fibrosis severity across both species, highlighting their potential as both biomarkers for fibrosis progression and translational targets. These findings underscore apigenin's therapeutic potential and emphasize the importance of multiomics approaches in understanding complex diseases like liver fibrosis. This study also provides valuable insights for developing improved therapeutic strategies and diagnostic tools for liver fibrosis.

TAB2 Promotes Immune Escape and Chemoresistance Through NF-κB Pathway Activation in Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) remains a major health challenge with high mortality rates due to chemoresistance and immune escape. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the role of TAB2 in CC using cisplatin-resistant and parental cell lines. Cell proliferation, migration, sphere formation and T cell-mediated killing assays were performed. Western blot and qRT-PCR analysed protein and mRNA expression. NF-κB pathway involvement was examined using the BAY 11-7082 inhibitor. TAB2 expression was significantly elevated in cisplatin-resistant CC cells. TAB2 overexpression promoted chemoresistance and immune escape through NF-κB pathway activation. Conversely, TAB2 knockdown or NF-κB inhibition sensitised resistant cells to cisplatin and enhanced T cell-mediated killing. The resistant phenotype could be rescued by restoring PD-L1 expression. Our findings reveal TAB2 as a critical regulator of both chemoresistance and immune escape in CC through NF-κB pathway activation. This suggests TAB2 as a potential therapeutic target for overcoming treatment resistance in CC.

Therapeutic Significance of NLRP3 Inflammasome in Cancer: Friend or Foe?

Besides various infectious and inflammatory complications, recent studies also indicated the significance of NLRP3 inflammasome in cancer progression and therapy. NLRP3-mediated immune response and pyroptosis could be helpful or harmful in the progression of cancer, and also depend on the nature of the tumor microenvironment. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome could increase immune surveillance and the efficacy of immunotherapy. It can also lead to the removal of tumor cells by the recruitment of phagocytic macrophages, T-lymphocytes, and other immune cells to the tumor site. On the other hand, NLRP3 activation can also be harmful, as chronic inflammation driven by NLRP3 supports tumor progression by creating an environment that facilitates cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis. The release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β and IL-18 can promote tumor growth and angiogenesis, while sustained inflammation may lead to immune suppression, hindering effective anti-tumor responses. In this review article, we discuss the role of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated inflammatory response in the pathophysiology of various cancer types; understanding this role is essential for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies for cancer growth and spread.