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AlHariry NS, El Saftawy EA, Aboulhoda BE, Abozamel AH, Alghamdi MA, Hamoud AE, Khalil Ghanam WAE. Comparison of tissue biomarkers between non-schistosoma and schistosoma-associated urothelial carcinoma. Tissue Cell 2024; 88:102416. [PMID: 38796863 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2024.102416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-grade urothelial carcinoma either non-Schistosoma (NS-UBC) or Schistosoma (S-UBC)-associated is the tenth cause of death worldwide and represents a serious therapeutic problem. AIM Evaluation of the immmunohistochemical expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), programmed cell death protein-1 (PDL1), estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα) and UroplakinIII, in the high-grade in NS-UBC and S-UBC as potential prognostic and therapeutic targets analyzed through estimation of area percentage, optical density and international pathological scoring system for each marker. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty high grade urothelial carcinoma cases were enrolled in the study (30 cases of NS-UBC and 30 cases of S-UBC). The cases were immunohistochemically-assessed for TNFα, EGFR, PDL1, ERα and Uroplakin III expression. In S-UBC, parasite load was also evaluated for correlation with the immunohistochemical markers' expression in S-UBC. RESULTS The area percentage of immune-expression of TNFα and EGFR was higher in S-UBC compared to NS-UBC. On the other hand, the NS-UBC displayed statistically-higher expression of PDL1 and uroplakinIII (p-value <0.001). ERα revealed higher, yet, non-significant expressions in S-UBC compared to NS-UBC (p-value =0.459). PDL1 expression showed the most superior record regarding area percentage (64.6± 34.5). Regarding optical density, TNF-α showed the highest transmittance expression (2.4 ± 0.9). EGFR positively correlated with PDL1 in S-UBC (r= 0.578, p-value =0.001) whereas in NS-UBC, TNFα and PDL1 (r=0.382, p-value=0.037) had positive correlation. Schistosoma eggs in tissues oppose uroplakin III expression and trigger immunomodulation via PDL1. CONCLUSION Due to lower UroplakinIII expression, S-UBC is supposed to have a poorer prognosis. Hormonal therapy is not hypothesized due to a very minimal ERα expression in both NS-UBC and S-UBC. Regarding immunotherapy, anti-TNF-α is suggested for S-UBC whilst in NS-UBC, blockading PDL1 might be useful. Targeted EGFR therapy seems to carry emphasized outcomes in S-UBC. Correlations encourage combined immune therapy in NS-UBC; nevertheless, in S-UBC, combined anti-EGFR and PDL1 seem to be of benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enas A El Saftawy
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt; Department of Medical Parasitology, Armed Forces College of Medicine, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Basma Emad Aboulhoda
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
| | - Ahmed H Abozamel
- Department of Urology, Kasr Alainy Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mansour A Alghamdi
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia; Genomics and Personalized Medicine Unit, The Center for Medical and Health Research, King Khalid University, Abha 62529, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amany E Hamoud
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
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Alenchery RG, Ajalik RE, Jerreld K, Midekksa F, Zhong S, Alkatib B, Awad HA. PAI-1 mediates TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast activation in tenocytes via mTOR signaling. J Orthop Res 2023; 41:2163-2174. [PMID: 37143206 PMCID: PMC10524825 DOI: 10.1002/jor.25594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) induces plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) to effect fibrotic pathologies in several organs including tendon. Recent data implicated PAI-1 with inhibition of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) suggesting that PAI-1-induced adhesions involves phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. Ergo, we investigated effects of TGF-β1, PAI-1, and mTOR signaling crosstalk on myofibroblast activation, senescence, and proliferation in primary flexor tenocytes from wild-type (WT) and PAI-1 knockout (KO) mice. PAI-1 deletion blunted TGF-β1-induced myofibroblast activation in murine flexor tenocytes and increased the gene expression of Mmp-2 to confer protective effects against fibrosis. While TGF-β1 significantly reduced phosphorylation of PTEN in WT cells, PAI-1 deletion rescued the activation of PTEN. Despite that, there were no differences in TGF-β1-induced activation of mTOR signaling (AKT, 4EBP1, and P70S6K) in WT or KO tenocytes. Phenotypic changes in distinct populations of WT or KO tenocytes exhibiting high or low mTOR activity were then examined. TGF-β1 increased alpha-smooth muscle actin abundance in WT cells exhibiting high mTOR activity, but this increase was blunted in KO cells exhibiting high 4EBP1 activity but not in cells exhibiting high S6 activity. DNA damage (γH2AX) was increased with TGF-β1 treatment in WT tenocytes but was blunted in KO cells exhibiting high mTOR activity. Increased mTOR activity enhanced proliferation (Ki67) in both WT and KO tenocytes. These findings point to a complex nexus of TGF-β1, PAI-1, and mTOR signaling in regulating proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation, and senescence in tenocytes, which could define therapeutic targets for chronic tendon adhesions and other fibrotic pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul G Alenchery
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Raquel E Ajalik
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Kyle Jerreld
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
| | - Firaol Midekksa
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Sylvia Zhong
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Bashar Alkatib
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
| | - Hani A. Awad
- Center for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester Rochester, NY, United States
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Boyd SS, Slawson C, Thompson JA. AMEND: active module identification using experimental data and network diffusion. BMC Bioinformatics 2023; 24:277. [PMID: 37415126 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-023-05376-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular interaction networks have become an important tool in providing context to the results of various omics experiments. For example, by integrating transcriptomic data and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, one can better understand how the altered expression of several genes are related with one another. The challenge then becomes how to determine, in the context of the interaction network, the subset(s) of genes that best captures the main mechanisms underlying the experimental conditions. Different algorithms have been developed to address this challenge, each with specific biological questions in mind. One emerging area of interest is to determine which genes are equivalently or inversely changed between different experiments. The equivalent change index (ECI) is a recently proposed metric that measures the extent to which a gene is equivalently or inversely regulated between two experiments. The goal of this work is to develop an algorithm that makes use of the ECI and powerful network analysis techniques to identify a connected subset of genes that are highly relevant to the experimental conditions. RESULTS To address the above goal, we developed a method called Active Module identification using Experimental data and Network Diffusion (AMEND). The AMEND algorithm is designed to find a subset of connected genes in a PPI network that have large experimental values. It makes use of random walk with restart to create gene weights, and a heuristic solution to the Maximum-weight Connected Subgraph problem using these weights. This is performed iteratively until an optimal subnetwork (i.e., active module) is found. AMEND was compared to two current methods, NetCore and DOMINO, using two gene expression datasets. CONCLUSION The AMEND algorithm is an effective, fast, and easy-to-use method for identifying network-based active modules. It returned connected subnetworks with the largest median ECI by magnitude, capturing distinct but related functional groups of genes. Code is freely available at https://github.com/samboyd0/AMEND .
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel S Boyd
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103, USA
- University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Chad Slawson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103, USA
- University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
- University of Kansas Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Fairway, KS, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Thompson
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS, 66103, USA.
- University of Kansas Cancer Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
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Alfieri M, Meo L, Ragno P. Posttranscriptional Regulation of the Plasminogen Activation System by Non-Coding RNA in Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24020962. [PMID: 36674481 PMCID: PMC9860977 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24020962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Various species of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) may act as functional molecules regulating diverse biological processes. In cancer cell biology, ncRNAs include RNAs that regulate the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes through various mechanisms. The urokinase (uPA)-mediated plasminogen activation system (PAS) includes uPA, its inhibitors PAI-1 and PAI-2 and its specific cellular receptor uPAR; their increased expression represents a negative prognostic factor in several cancers. Here, we will briefly describe the main uPA-mediated PAS components and ncRNA species; then, we will review more recent evidence of the roles that ncRNAs may play in regulating the expression and functions of uPA-mediated PAS components in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariaevelina Alfieri
- Clinical Pathology, Pausilipon Hospital, A.O.R.N Santobono-Pausilipon, 80123 Naples, Italy
| | - Luigia Meo
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
| | - Pia Ragno
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-089-969456
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Ismail AA, Shaker BT, Bajou K. The Plasminogen-Activator Plasmin System in Physiological and Pathophysiological Angiogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010337. [PMID: 35008762 PMCID: PMC8745544 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiogenesis is a process associated with the migration and proliferation of endothelial cells (EC) to form new blood vessels. It is involved in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions and is controlled by a wide range of proangiogenic and antiangiogenic molecules. The plasminogen activator–plasmin system plays a major role in the extracellular matrix remodeling process necessary for angiogenesis. Urokinase/tissue-type plasminogen activators (uPA/tPA) convert plasminogen into the active enzyme plasmin, which in turn activates matrix metalloproteinases and degrades the extracellular matrix releasing growth factors and proangiogenic molecules such as the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A). The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is the main inhibitor of uPA and tPA, thereby an inhibitor of pericellular proteolysis and intravascular fibrinolysis, respectively. Paradoxically, PAI-1, which is expressed by EC during angiogenesis, is elevated in several cancers and is found to promote angiogenesis by regulating plasmin-mediated proteolysis and by promoting cellular migration through vitronectin. The urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) also induces EC cellular migration during angiogenesis via interacting with signaling partners. Understanding the molecular functions of the plasminogen activator plasmin system and targeting angiogenesis via blocking serine proteases or their interactions with other molecules is one of the major therapeutic strategies scientists have been attracted to in controlling tumor growth and other pathological conditions characterized by neovascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Anwar Ismail
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.I.); (B.T.S.)
- Human Genetics & Stem Cells Research Group, Research Institute of Sciences & Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Baraah Tariq Shaker
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.I.); (B.T.S.)
- Human Genetics & Stem Cells Research Group, Research Institute of Sciences & Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
| | - Khalid Bajou
- Department of Applied Biology, College of Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates; (A.A.I.); (B.T.S.)
- Human Genetics & Stem Cells Research Group, Research Institute of Sciences & Engineering, University of Sharjah, Sharjah 27272, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
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Role of Genetic Mutations of the Na +/H + Exchanger Isoform 1, in Human Disease and Protein Targeting and Activity. Mol Cell Biochem 2020; 476:1221-1232. [PMID: 33201382 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-020-03984-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian Na+/H+ exchanger isoform one (NHE1) is a plasma membrane protein that is ubiquitously present in human cells. It functions to regulate intracellular pH removing an intracellular proton in exchange for one extracellular sodium and is involved in heart disease and in promoting metastasis in cancer. It is made of a 500 amino acid membrane domain plus a 315 amino acid, regulatory cytosolic tail. The membrane domain is thought to have 12 transmembrane segments and a large membrane-associated extracellular loop. Early studies demonstrated that in mice, disruption of the NHE1 gene results in locomotor ataxia and a phenotype of slow-wave epilepsy. Defects included a progressive neuronal degeneration. Growth and reproductive ability were also reduced. Recent studies have identified human autosomal homozygous recessive mutations in the NHE1 gene (SLC9A1) that result in impaired development, ataxia and other severe defects, and explain the cause of the human disease Lichtenstein-Knorr syndrome. Other human mutations have been identified that are stop codon polymorphisms. These cause short non-functional NHE1 proteins, while other genetic polymorphisms in the NHE1 gene cause impaired expression of the NHE1 protein, reduced activity, enhanced protein degradation or altered kinetic activation of the protein. Since NHE1 plays a key role in many human physiological functions and in human disease, genetic polymorphisms of the protein that significantly alter its function and are likely play significant roles in varying human phenotypes and be involved in disease.
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Chulpanova DS, Kitaeva KV, Rutland CS, Rizvanov AA, Solovyeva VV. Mouse Tumor Models for Advanced Cancer Immunotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E4118. [PMID: 32526987 PMCID: PMC7312663 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21114118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in the development of new methods of cancer immunotherapy require the production of complex cancer animal models that reliably reflect the complexity of the tumor and its microenvironment. Mice are good animals to create tumor models because they are low cost, have a short reproductive cycle, exhibit high tumor growth rates, and can be easily genetically modified. However, the obvious problem of these models is the high failure rate observed in human clinical trials after promising results obtained in mouse models. In order to increase the reliability of the results obtained in mice, the tumor model should reflect the heterogeneity of the tumor, contain components of the tumor microenvironment, in particular immune cells, to which the action of immunotherapeutic drugs are directed. This review discusses the current immunocompetent and immunocompromised mouse models of human tumors that are used to evaluate the effectiveness of immunotherapeutic agents, in particular chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells and immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria S. Chulpanova
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (D.S.C.); (K.V.K.); (A.A.R.)
| | - Kristina V. Kitaeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (D.S.C.); (K.V.K.); (A.A.R.)
| | - Catrin S. Rutland
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Medicine, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UK;
| | - Albert A. Rizvanov
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (D.S.C.); (K.V.K.); (A.A.R.)
| | - Valeriya V. Solovyeva
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, 420008 Kazan, Russia; (D.S.C.); (K.V.K.); (A.A.R.)
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