Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin and Cancer: Th2-Dependent and -Independent Mechanisms

Contribution of Keratinocytes in Skin Cancer Initiation and Progression

Keratinocytes are major cellular components of the skin and are strongly involved in its homeostasis. Oncogenic events, starting mainly from excessive sun exposure, lead to the dysregulation of their proliferation and differentiation programs and promote the initiation and progression of non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs). Primary melanomas, which originate from melanocytes, initiate and develop in close interaction with keratinocytes, whose role in melanoma initiation, progression, and immune escape is currently being explored. Recent studies highlighted, in particular, unexpected modes of communication between melanocytic cells and keratinocytes, which may be of interest as sources of new biomarkers in melanomagenesis or potential therapeutic targets. This review aims at reporting the various contributions of keratinocytes in skin basal cell carcinoma (BCC), cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC), and melanoma, with a greater focus on the latter in order to highlight some recent breakthrough findings. The readers are referred to recent reviews when contextual information is needed.

Alarmins in cutaneous malignant melanoma: An updated overview of emerging evidence on their pathogenetic, diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic role

Malignant cutaneous melanoma is the leading cause of death for skin cancer to date, with globally increasing incidence rates. In this epidemiological scenario, international scientific research is exerting efforts to identify new clinical strategies aimed at the prognostic amelioration of the disease. Very promising and groundbreaking in this context is the scientific interest related to alarmins and their pioneering utility in the setting of the pathogenetic understanding, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy for malignant cutaneous melanoma. However, the scientific investigations on this matter should not overlook their still well-presented dual and contradictory role. The aim of our critical analysis is to provide an up-to-date overview of the emerging evidence concerning the dichotomous role of alarmins in the aforementioned clinical settings. Our literature revision was based on the extensive body of both preclinical and clinical findings published on the PubMed database over the past 5 years. In addition to this, we offer a special focus on potentially revolutionary new therapeutic frontiers, which, on the strength of their earliest successes in other clinical areas, could inaugurate a new era of personalized and precision medicine in the field of dermato-oncology.

The causal effect of atopic dermatitis on lung cancer: A Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND

Growing evidence has shown that atopic dermatitis (AD) may decrease lung cancer (LC) risk. However, the causality between the two diseases is inconsistent and controversial. Therefore, we explored the causal relationship between AD and different histological subtypes of LC by using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted the MR study based on summary statistics from the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of AD (10,788 cases and 30,047 controls) and LC (29,266 cases and 56,450 controls). Instrumental variables (IVs) were obtained after removing SNPs associated with potential confounders. We employed inverse-variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median methods to pool estimates, and performed a comprehensive sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

The results of the IVW method suggested that AD may decrease the risk of developing lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85-0.97, P = 0.007). Moreover, no causality was identified between AD and overall LC (OR = 0.96, 95% CI: 0.91-1.01, P = 0.101), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.96-1.036, P = 0.324), and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.82-1.10, P = 0.512). A comprehensive sensitivity test showed the robustness of our results.

CONCLUSION

The present study indicates that AD may decrease the risk of LUAD in the European population, which needs additional investigations to identify the potential molecular mechanisms.

Relevance of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin on the Pathogenesis of Glioblastoma: Role of the Neutrophil

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most predominant and malignant primary brain tumor in adults. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), a cytokine primarily generated by activated epithelial cells, has recently garnered attention in cancer research. This study was aimed to elucidate the significance of TSLP in GBM cells and its interplay with the immune system, particularly focused on granulocyte neutrophils. Our results demonstrate that the tumor produces TSLP when stimulated with epidermal growth factor (EGF) in both the U251 cell line and the GBM biopsy (GBM-b). The relevance of the TSLP function was evaluated using a 3D spheroid model. Spheroids exhibited increased diameter, volume, and proliferation. In addition, TSLP promoted the generation of satellites surrounding the main spheroids and inhibited apoptosis in U251 treated with temozolomide (TMZ). Additionally, the co-culture of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells from healthy donors with the U251 cell line in the presence of TSLP showed a reduction in apoptosis and an increase in IL-8 production. TSLP directly inhibited apoptosis in PMN from GBM patients (PMN-p). Interestingly, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production was elevated in PMN-p compared with PMN from healthy donors. Under these conditions, TSLP also increased VEGF production, in PMN from healthy donors. Moreover, TSLP upregulated programed death-ligand 1 (PDL-1) expression in PMN cultured with U251. On the other hand, according to our results, the analysis of RNA-seq datasets from Illumina HiSeq 2000 sequencing platform performed with TIMER2.0 webserver demonstrated that the combination of TSLP with neutrophils decreases the survival of the patient. In conclusion, our results position TSLP as a possible new growth factor in GBM and indicate its modulation of the tumor microenvironment, particularly through its interaction with PMN.

PLEKHA4 promotes glioblastoma progression through apoptosis inhibition, tumor cell migration, and macrophage infiltration

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma(GBM) has a profound impact on human health, making the identification of reliable prognostic biomarkers pivotal. While PLEKHA4 has been associated with tumor genesis and development, its role in gliomas is still uncertain.

METHODS

We analyzed PLEKHA4 expression in tumor tissues using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Additionally, we utilized TCGA data to investigate its impact on prognosis, pathway enrichment, and immune infiltration. In vitro loss-of-function experiments were conducted to elucidate the effect of PLEKHA4 silencing on GBM cell behavior.

RESULTS

TCGA and GEO data sets revealed increased levels of PLEKHA4 expression in glioma tissues. Furthermore, we identified a correlation between PLEKHA4 expression and higher disease classification, pathological grading, and poorer prognosis. Silencing PLEKHA4 in vitro resulted in decreased glioma cell migration and increased apoptosis. It also reduced macrophage infiltration and hindered M2 polarization of macrophages.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight the pivotal role of PLEKHA4 in GBM pathogenesis and suggest its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic target for GBM.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a substrate for tryptase in patients with mastocytosis

Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous disease associated to uncontrolled proliferation and increased density of mast cells in different organs. This clonal disorder is related to gain-of-function pathogenic variants of the c-kit gene that encodes for KIT (CD117) expressed on mast cell membrane. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a pleiotropic cytokine, which plays a key role in allergic disorders and several cancers. TSLP is a survival and activating factor for human mast cells through the engagement of the TSLP receptor. Activated human mast cells release several preformed mediators, including tryptase. Increased mast cell-derived tryptase is a diagnostic biomarker of mastocytosis. In this study, we found that in these patients serum concentrations of TSLP were lower than healthy donors. There was an inverse correlation between TSLP and tryptase concentrations in mastocytosis. Incubation of human recombinant TSLP with sera from patients with mastocytosis, containing increasing concentrations of tryptase, concentration-dependently decreased TSLP immunoreactivity. Similarly, recombinant β-tryptase reduced the immunoreactivity of recombinant TSLP, inducing the formation of a cleavage product of approximately 10 kDa. Collectively, these results indicate that TSLP is a substrate for human mast cell tryptase and highlight a novel loop involving these mediators in mastocytosis.

Integration analysis using bioinformatics and experimental validation on the clinical and biological significance of TSLP in cancers

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) has significantly impacted the development and progression of various neoplastic disorders. To comprehensively evaluate the diverse significance of TSLP in malignant tumors, we first integrative analyze the TSLP expression level in paired and unpaired pan-cancer tissue and cell line, compared against the normal tissue. The correlation between TSLP expression, molecular subtypes, immune subtypes, diagnostic value, and prognostic value in pan-cancer was also investigated. We then explored the impact of TSLP expression on multifaced immune cell infiltration and subsequent clinical outcomes in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients. and conducted cellular experiments to functionally examine the effect of TSLP on cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration, and invasion in LUAD. The anti-neoplastic mechanism of TSLP was further investigated by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Our findings reveal that TSLP expression is abnormally low in various cancers compared to normal tissue and is associated with different molecular and immune subtypes of cancers. Moreover, ROC and survival analysis results suggest that TSLP expression is correlated with the diagnostic, prognostic, clinical features, and immune cells of LUAD patients. Cell experiments showed that overexpression of TSLP elicited a significant reduction in LUAD cell viability, promoted cell apoptosis, impeded cell cycle progression in the G2/M phase, and inhibited cell migration and invasion. In addition, TSLP inhibited LUAD progression through the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway. Therefore, targeting TSLP shows potential as a therapeutic strategy for pan-cancer, particularly for LUAD, and as a biomarker for predicting the prognosis of this malignancy.

Limosilactobacillus reuteri in immunomodulation: molecular mechanisms and potential applications

Frequent use of hormones and drugs may be associated with side-effects. Recent studies have shown that probiotics have effects on the prevention and treatment of immune-related diseases. Limosilactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) had regulatory effects on intestinal microbiota, host epithelial cells, immune cells, cytokines, antibodies (Ab), toll-like receptors (TLRs), tryptophan (Try) metabolism, antioxidant enzymes, and expression of related genes, and exhibits antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, leading to alleviation of disease symptoms. Although the specific composition of the cell-free supernatant (CFS) of L. reuteri has not been clarified, its efficacy in animal models has drawn increased attention to its potential use. This review summarizes the effects of L. reuteri on intestinal flora and immune regulation, and discusses the feasibility of its application in atopic dermatitis (AD), asthma, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and multiple sclerosis (MS), and provides insights for the prevention and treatment of immune-related diseases.

TSLP/TSLPR promotes renal fibrosis by activating STAT3 in renal fibroblasts

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of TSLP-TSLPR in inflammatory, allergic, and fibrotic diseases. However, their exact molecular mechanism in regulating renal fibrosis has not been fully explored yet. The current study identified the high expression levels of TSLP and TSLPR in human and mouse hydronephrotic tissues. In addition, immunofluorescence staining showed that TSLP was highly expressed in renal tubular cells, while TSLPR was mainly co-localized with α-SMA, a marker of fibroblasts. Knocking out TSLPR in the UUO model could alleviate the severity of renal fibrosis. Most importantly, the application of antibody blockade of TSLP reduced the fibrotic level in the UUO model. The functional analysis revealed that the hypoxic exposure could induce the overexpression of TSLP in renal tubular cells via HIF-1α. The tubular cell-derived TSLP could bind to the TSLPR of fibroblasts in a paracrine manner to activate them. Specifically, the HIF-1α/TSLP/TSLPR-axis could activate fibroblasts through the STAT3 signaling pathway. This study revealed a mechanistic interaction of HIF-1α/TSLP/TSLPR and STAT3 signaling pathways in the activation and proliferation of human and murine kidney fibroblasts; these pathways might be exploited as a therapeutic target in renal fibrosis.

A network pharmacology-based investigation of emodin against pancreatic adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with an increasing incidence and poor outcome due to the lack of effective diagnostic and treatment methods. Emerging evidence implicates that emodin displays extensive spectrum anticancer properties. Differential expression genes in PAAD patients were analyzed by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) website, and the targets of emodin were obtained via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. Subsequently, enrichment analyses were performed using R software. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed by STRING database and Cytoscape software was used to identify the hub genes. Prognostic value and immune infiltration landscapes were explored through Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM plotter) website and the Single-Sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis package of R. Finally, molecular docking was used to computationally verify the interaction of ligand and receptor proteins. A total of 9191 genes were significantly differentially expressed in PAAD patients and 34 potential targets of emodin were obtained. Intersections of the 2 groups were considered as potential targets of emodin against PAAD. Functional enrichment analyses illustrated that these potential targets were linked to numerous pathological processes. Hub genes identified through PPI networks were correlated with poor prognosis and infiltration level of different immune cells in PAAD patients. Perhaps emodin interacted with the key molecules and regulate the activity of them. We revealed the inherent mechanism of emodin against PAAD with the aid of network pharmacology, which provided reliable evidence and a novel guideline for clinical treatment.

Cytokine sustained delivery for cancer therapy; special focus on stem cell- and biomaterial- based delivery methods

As immune regulators, cytokines serve critical role as signaling molecules in response to danger, tissue damage, or injury. Importantly, due to their vital role in immunological surveillance, cytokine therapy has become a promising therapeutics for cancer therapy. Cytokines have, however, been used only in certain clinical settings. Two key characteristics of cytokines contribute to this clinical translational challenge: first, they are highly pleiotropic, and second, in healthy physiology, they are typically secreted and act very locally in tissues. Systemic administration of the cytokines can consequently result in serious side effects. Thus, scientists have sought various strategies to circumvent theses hurdles. Recent in vivo reports signify that cytokine delivery platforms can increase their safety and therapeutic efficacy in tumor xenografts. Meanwhile, cytokine delivery using multipotent stem cells, in particular mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), and also a diversity of particles and biomaterials has demonstrated greater capability in this regards. Herein, we take a glimpse into the recent advances in cytokine sustained delivery using stem cells and also biomaterials to ease safe and effective treatments of a myriad of human tumors.

High expression of KNL1 in prostate adenocarcinoma is associated with poor prognosis and immune infiltration

Prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) is a common malignancy with increasing morbidity and mortality. Kinetochore scaffold 1 (KNL1) has been reported to be involved in tumor progression and prognosis in other tumors, but its role in PRAD has not been reported in detail. KNL1 expression analysis, clinicopathological parameters analysis, prognostic correlation analysis, molecular interaction network and functional abdominal muscle analysis and immune infiltration analysis by using multiple online databases and downloaded expression profile. The results suggest that KNL1 is highly expressed in PRAD, which is associated with worse prognosis in PRAD patients. KnL1-related genes are highly enriched in mitotic function, which is considered to be highly related to the development of cancer. Finally, KNL1 expression is associated with a variety of tumor infiltrating immune cells, especially Treg and Th2 cells. In conclusion, our findings provide preliminary evidence that KNL1 may be an independent prognostic predictor of PRAD and is associated with immune infiltration.

Keratinocyte-derived cytokine TSLP promotes growth and metastasis of melanoma by regulating the tumor-associated immune microenvironment

Malignant melanoma is a major public health issue displaying frequent resistance to targeted therapy and immunotherapy. A major challenge lies in better understanding how melanoma cells evade immune elimination and how tumor growth and metastasis is facilitated by the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that expression of the cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) by epidermal keratinocytes is induced by cutaneous melanoma in both mice and humans. Using genetically engineered models of melanoma and tumor cell grafting combined with TSLP-KO or overexpression, we defined a crosstalk between melanoma cells, keratinocytes, and immune cells in establishing a tumor-promoting microenvironment. Keratinocyte-derived TSLP is induced by signals derived from melanoma cells and subsequently acts via immune cells to promote melanoma progression and metastasis. Furthermore, we show that TSLP signals through TSLP receptor-expressing (TSLPR-expressing) DCs to play an unrecognized role in promoting GATA3+ Tregs expressing a gene signature including ST2, CCR8, ICOS, PD-1, CTLA-4, and OX40 and exhibiting a potent suppressive activity on CD8+ T cell proliferation and IFN-γ production. An analogous population of GATA3-expressing Tregs was also identified in human melanoma tumors. Our study provides insights into the role of TSLP in programming a protumoral immune microenvironment in cutaneous melanoma.

KLK6 Functions as an Oncogene and Unfavorable Prognostic Factor in Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma

Background

Kallikrein-related peptidase 6 (KLK6) has been substantiated as a diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic molecular in several cancer types. In our study, we attempt to explore the biological functions of KLK6 in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA).

Methods

KLK6 gene expression prognostic, gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and immune infiltration were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In vitro and in vivo experimental measurements, including CCK8, transwell migration, TUNEL, and nude mouse transplanted tumor model, were used to evaluate the antineoplastic activities of KLK6 loss-of-function.

Results

The combination of bioinformatics analyses and experimental measurements demonstrate that KLK6 expression is aberrantly upregulated in human specimens and cell lines of BLCA. GO and GSEA enrichment analyses exhibited that KLK6 is implicated in the inflammatory response and immune infiltration, suggesting that upregulation of KLK6 may be associated with the progression of BLCA. Knockdown of KLK6 is able to inhibit the growth and migration and trigger apoptosis of RT4 and T24 cells. Moreover, the TCGA database indicates that KLK6 high expression in BLCA patients showed a poorer prognosis than those patients with KLK6 low expression. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses suggest KLK6 as an independent prognostic factor to predict unfavorable OS in patients with BLCA.

Conclusion

KLK6 is an independent prognostic factor and an antitumor target of BLCA. KLK6 expression positively correlates with several immune cells infiltration, indicating that inhibition of KLK6 may contribute to immunotherapy of BLCA.

Calcipotriol, a synthetic Vitamin D analog, promotes antitumor immunity via CD4+T-dependent CTL/NK cell activation

To overcome the hurdles of immunotherapy, we investigated whether calcipotriol, a synthetic vitamin D analog, could overcome the immune evasion of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) by modulating immune responses and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Administration of calcipotriol considerably reduced tumor growth. Both in vivo and in vitro studies revealed that CD8+T and natural killer (NK) cell gene signatures were enriched and activated, producing high levels of IFN-γ and granzyme B. In contrast, regulatory T cells (Treg) were significantly reduced in the calcipotriol-treated group. The expression of CD127, the receptor for thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), is elevated in CD4+T cells and potentially supports T-cell priming. Depleting CD4+T cells, but not NK or CD8+T cells, completely abrogated the antitumor efficacy of calcipotriol. These data highlight that the calcipotriol/TSLP/CD4+T axis can activate CD8+T and NK cells with a concomitant reduction in the number of Tregs in GBM. Therefore, calcipotriol can be a novel therapeutic modality to overcome the immune resistance of GBM by converting immunologically "cold" tumors into "hot" tumors. DATA AVAILABILITY: Data are available upon reasonable request. The RNA-seq dataset comparing the transcriptomes of control and calcipotriol-treated GL261 tumors is available from the corresponding author upon request.

Emerging Paradigms in Type 2 Immunity

A principal purpose of type 2 immunity was thought to be defense against large parasites, but it also functions in the restoration of homeostasis, such as toxin clearance following snake bites. In other cases, like allergy, the type 2 T helper (Th2) cytokines and cells present in the environment are detrimental and cause diseases. In recent years, the recognition of cell heterogeneity within Th2-associated cell populations has revealed specific functions of cells with a particular phenotype or gene signature. In addition, here we discuss the recent data regarding heterogeneity of type 2 immunity-related cells, as well as their newly identified role in a variety of processes ranging from involvement in respiratory viral infections [especially in the context of the recent COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic] to control of cancer development or of metabolic homeostasis.

B-Lymphocytes in the Pathophysiology of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is highly infiltrated by B lymphocytes but the relevance of these immune cells in tumor development has been surprisingly overlooked until recently. Based on available evidence from other solid tumors, interaction between B lymphocytes and neoplastic cells is probably not uniformly stimulatory or inhibitory. Although presentation of tumor antigens to T cells and production of antitumor immunoglobulins might intuitively suggest a prominent tumor suppressive activity, specific subsets of B lymphocytes can secrete growth factors for neoplastic cells and immunosuppressive cytokines thus promoting escape from immunosurveillance and cancer progression. Because many of these mechanisms might also be implicated in the development of PDAC, and immune-modulation of B-cell activity is nowadays possible at different levels, determining the role of B-lymphocytes in this lethal cancer becomes of utmost importance to design novel therapeutic strategies. This review aims to discuss the emerging role of B cells in PDAC tumorigenesis, progression, and associated stromal reaction.

The Contribution of TSLP Activation to Hyperalgesia in Dorsal Root Ganglia Neurons of a Rat

Peripheral nerve injury involves divergent alterations within dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons sensitized by persistent inflammation. Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) production is crucial in the development of chronic inflammatory responses. Herein, we investigate the changes of TSLP expression in rats’ DRG neurons between injured and uninjured sides in the same rat. Linalyl acetate (LA) was served as a TSLP inhibitor and given intraperitoneally. Rats were assigned to be group of chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and the group of CCI of the sciatic nerve administrated with LA. Over 14 days, the rats were measured for paw withdrawal thresholds. DRGs were collected to assess morphological changes via immunofluorescence study. After receiving CCI, the rats rapidly developed mechanical hyperalgesia. TSLP expression at DRG, on the ipsilateral injured side, was consistent with changes in pain behaviors. TSLP appeared in nerve fibers with both small diameters and large diameters. Additionally, TSLP was expressed mostly in transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1)-positive nociceptive neurons. Administration with LA can attenuate the pain behaviors and expression of TSLP in DRG neurons, and in apoptotic neurons at the injured side, but not in the contra-lateral uninjured side. Overall, these results imply that altered expressions of TSLP in nociceptive DRG neurons contributed to mechanical hyperalgesia in a CCI rat model.

Immunometabolism in biofilm infection: lessons from cancer

BACKGROUND

Biofilm is a community of bacteria embedded in an extracellular matrix, which can colonize different human cells and tissues and subvert the host immune reactions by preventing immune detection and polarizing the immune reactions towards an anti-inflammatory state, promoting the persistence of biofilm-embedded bacteria in the host.

MAIN BODY OF THE MANUSCRIPT

It is now well established that the function of immune cells is ultimately mediated by cellular metabolism. The immune cells are stimulated to regulate their immune functions upon sensing danger signals. Recent studies have determined that immune cells often display distinct metabolic alterations that impair their immune responses when triggered. Such metabolic reprogramming and its physiological implications are well established in cancer situations. In bacterial infections, immuno-metabolic evaluations have primarily focused on macrophages and neutrophils in the planktonic growth mode.

CONCLUSION

Based on differences in inflammatory reactions of macrophages and neutrophils in planktonic- versus biofilm-associated bacterial infections, studies must also consider the metabolic functions of immune cells against biofilm infections. The profound characterization of the metabolic and immune cell reactions could offer exciting novel targets for antibiofilm therapy.

IL-13Rα1 Suppresses Tumor Progression in Two-stage Skin Carcinogenesis Model by Regulating Regulatory T Cells

Type 2-inflammation-related cytokine Interleukin (IL)-13 plays a protective role in experimental papilloma induction in mice. To understand mechanisms by which IL-13 contributes to papilloma formation we utilized IL-13Rα1 knockout (KO) mice in widely used DMBA/TPA two-stage skin carcinogenesis protocol that mimics the development of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). KO mice developed more papillomas and significantly faster than wild-type (WT) mice. Papilloma development reduced Tregs in WT mice, but substantially less in KO mice. In line with this, IL-2 and IL-10 levels decreased in WT mice, but not in KO mice. Furthermore, systemic IL-5 and Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) levels were elevated, while IL-22 was decreased during papilloma formation in the skin of KO mice. Polymorphonuclear Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) were decreased in the KO mice at the early phase of papilloma induction. We demonstrate that IL-13Rα1 protects from papilloma development in chemically induced skin carcinogenesis and our results provide further insights into the protective role of functional IL-4 and IL-13 signaling via type II IL-4R in tumor development.

Comprehensive analysis of prognostic genes in gastric cancer

Background: Gastric cancer is associated with high mortality, and effective methods for predicting prognosis are lacking. We aimed to identify potential prognostic markers associated with the development of gastric cancer through bioinformatic analyses.

Methods: Gastric cancer-associated gene expression profiles were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus databases. The key genes involved in the development of gastric cancer were obtained by differential expression analysis, coexpression analysis, and short time-series expression miner (STEM) analysis. The potential prognostic value of differentially expressed genes was further evaluated using a Cox regression model and risk scores. Hierarchical clustering was applied to validate the impact of key genes on the overall survival of gastric cancer patients.

Results: A total of 1381 genes were consistently dysregulated in the development of gastric cancer. Among them, 186 genes affected the overall survival of gastric cancer patients. The following genes had areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve greater than 0.9 in both datasets and were therefore considered key genes: ADAM12, CEP55, LRFN4, INHBA, ADH1B, DPT, FAM107A, and LOC100506388. LRFN4, DPT, and LOC100506388 were identified as potential prognostic genes for gastric cancer through a nomogram. Overexpression of LRFN4 and LOC100506388 was associated with a higher risk of gastric cancer. Finally, we found that tumors were infiltrated with high levels of Th2 cells and mast cells, and the infiltration levels were associated with overall survival in gastric cancer patients.

Conclusions: We found that key dysregulated genes may have a prognostic value for the development of gastric cancer.

Human Lung-Resident Macrophages Express and Are Targets of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin in the Tumor Microenvironment

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a pleiotropic cytokine highly expressed by epithelial cells and several innate and adaptive immune cells. TSLP exerts its biological effects by binding to a heterodimeric complex composed of TSLP receptor (TSLPR) and IL-7Rα. In humans, there are two TSLP isoforms: the short form (sfTSLP), constitutively expressed, and the long form (lfTSLP), which is upregulated in inflammation. TSLP has been implicated in the induction and progression of several experimental and human cancers. Primary human lung macrophages (HLMs), monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), and peripheral blood monocytes consitutively expressed sfTSLP mRNA. Incubation of HLMs, MDMs, and monocytes with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or IL-4, but not with IL-13, induced TSLP release from HLMs. LPS, but not IL-4 or IL-13, induced CXCL8 release from HLMs. LPS, IL-4 alone or in combination with IL-13, induced the expression of lfTSLP, but not of sfTSLP from HLMs. Preincubation of HLMs with IL-4, alone or in combination with IL-13, but not IL-13 alone, synergistically enhanced TSLP release from LPS-activated macrophages. By contrast, IL-4, alone or in combination with IL-13, inhibited LPS-induced CXCL8 release from HLMs. Immunoreactive TSLP was detected in lysates of HLMs, MDMs, and monocytes. Incubation of HLMs with TSLP induced the release of proinflammatory (TNF-α), angiogenic (VEGF-A, angiopoietin 2), and lymphangiogenic (VEGF-C) factors. TSLP, TSLPR, and IL-7Rα were expressed in intratumoral and peritumoral areas of human lung cancer. sfTSLP and lfTSLP mRNAs were differentially expressed in peritumoral and intratumoral lung cancer tissues. The TSLP system, expressed in HLMs, MDMs, and monocytes, could play a role in chronic inflammatory disorders including lung cancer.

High IER5 Gene Expression Is Associated With Poor Prognosis in Glioma Patients

Objective

Immediate early response 5 (IER5) plays a core role in cell cycle and response to irradiation. However, its role in glioma remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate its prognostic significance in glioma based on The Cancer Genome Atlas data resource.

Methods

The Kruskal–Wallis test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and logistic regression were employed to explore the relationship between IER5 expression and clinicopathological features. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were implemented to investigate the relationship of IER5 with prognosis. A nomogram to estimate the impact of IER5 on prognosis was created based on the Cox multivariate data. We performed gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to determine the key signaling cascades associated with IER5. Immunohistochemistry was performed to examine IER5 expression in a tissue microarray (TMA) of glioma samples.

Results

Immediate early response 5 gene expression was elevated in glioma patients. The level of IER5 was significantly correlated with WHO grade [OR = 6.71 (4.34–10.68) for G4 vs. G2 and G3], IDH (isocitrate dehydrogenase enzyme) status [OR = 13.35 (8.92–20.46) for wild-type (WT) vs. mutated (Mut)], epidermal growth factor receptor status [OR = 8.42 (4.32–18.43) for Mut vs. WT], age [OR = 0.27 (0.18–0.41) for ≤ 60 years vs. >60 years], and histological type [OR = 7.13 (4.63–11.31] for glioblastoma vs. astrocytoma, oligoastrocytoma, and oligodendroglioma). Univariate analyses revealed that high IER5 expression was linked to short overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR): 3.747; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.847–4.933; and P < 0.001]. High IER5 expression was linked to poor OS in multivariate analyses (HR: 2.474; 95% CI: 1.552–3.943; and P < 0.001). TMA results showed that high IER5 protein levels were related to short OS (HR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.10–3.07; and P = 0.021) and poor disease-specific survival (HR: 1.82; 95% CI: 1.09–3.04; and P = 0.023). GSEA showed that many tumor related pathways were enriched differentially in the IER5-high expression group. The C-index and calibration plots of the nomogram showed an effective estimation performance in glioma patients.

Conclusion

Herein, we established that IER5 plays a critical role in glioma progression and prognosis, which might be an important biomarker for the prognosis of glioma patients.

Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells: A Double-Edged Sword in Cancer?

Group 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC2s) belong to the family of helper ILCs which provide host defense against infectious agents, participate in inflammatory responses and mediate lymphoid organogenesis and tissue repair, mainly at the skin and mucosal level. Based on their transcriptional, phenotypic and functional profile, ILC2s mirror the features of the adaptive CD4+ Th2 cell subset, both contributing to the so-called type 2 immune response. Similar to other ILCs, ILC2s are rapidly activated by signals deriving from tissue and/or other tissue-resident immune cells. The biologic activity of ILCs needs to be tightly regulated in order to prevent them from contributing to severe inflammation and damage in several organs. Indeed, ILC2s display both enhancing and regulatory roles in several pathophysiological conditions, including tumors. In this review, we summarize the actual knowledge about ILC2s ability to induce or impair a protective immune response, their pro- or antitumor activity in murine models, human (children and adults) pathologies and the potential strategies to improve cancer immunotherapy by exploiting the features of ILC2s.