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Wang S, Zhang Y, Chen G, Zhao P, Wang X, Xu B, Yuan L. Expressions of CXCR3 and PD-1 on T cells and their clinical relevance in colorectal cancer. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 132:111988. [PMID: 38583239 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.111988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Clinical application of immunotherapy represented by Programmed Death-1 (PD-1) monoclonal antibody has changed the treatment paradigm for colorectal cancer (CRC), and tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes are critical for anti-PD-1 therapy in CRC. However, there are few studies on the relationship between the expression CXCR3 on T lymphocytes and the clinical aspects of CRC. In this study, we analyzed the expression levels of CXCR3 and PD-1 in CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes in healthy donors (HDs) and patients with CRC. METHODS We detected the expressions of CXCR3 and PD-1 on T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of healthy donors as well as peripheral blood, tumor tissue and para-cancerous tissues of patients with CRC using flow cytometry. We also analyzed the relationship between the expressions of CXCR3 and PD-1 on T lymphocytes and the pathological characteristics of CRC using t test. RESULTS Expression of CXCR3 on tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes was lower, whereas the expression of PD-1 was higher than that on para-cancerous tissues and PB in patients with CRC. In patients with lymph node metastasis of CRC, the expressions levels of CXCR3+ PD-1+ on tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes were higher than those in patients without lymph node metastasis. The levels of CXCR3+ PD-1+ expressions differed depending on the primary tumor site. CONCLUSION Expressions of CXCR3 and PD-1 on tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes are related to the development of CRC and metastasis, providing clues for exploring the pathogenesis of CRC and developing new strategies for tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Wang
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Surgery), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yangyang Zhang
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Surgery), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guangyu Chen
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Immunotherapy), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Peng Zhao
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Surgery), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Surgery), Zhengzhou, China
| | - Benling Xu
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Immunotherapy), Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Long Yuan
- The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital (Department of Surgery), Zhengzhou, China.
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2
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Karihtala P, Leivonen SK, Puistola U, Urpilainen E, Jääskeläinen A, Leppä S, Jukkola A. Serum protein profiling reveals an inflammation signature as a predictor of early breast cancer survival. Breast Cancer Res 2024; 26:61. [PMID: 38594742 PMCID: PMC11005292 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-024-01812-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancers exhibit considerable heterogeneity in their biology, immunology, and prognosis. Currently, no validated, serum protein-based tools are available to evaluate the prognosis of patients with early breast cancer. METHODS The study population consisted of 521 early-stage breast cancer patients with a median follow-up of 8.9 years. Additionally, 61 patients with breast fibroadenoma or atypical ductal hyperplasia were included as controls. We used a proximity extension assay to measure the preoperative serum levels of 92 proteins associated with inflammatory and immune response processes. The invasive cancers were randomly split into discovery (n = 413) and validation (n = 108) cohorts for the statistical analyses. RESULTS Using LASSO regression, we identified a nine-protein signature (CCL8, CCL23, CCL28, CSCL10, S100A12, IL10, IL10RB, STAMPB2, and TNFβ) that predicted various survival endpoints more accurately than traditional prognostic factors. In the time-dependent analyses, the prognostic power of the model remained rather stable over time. We also developed and validated a 17-protein model with the potential to differentiate benign breast lesions from malignant lesions (Wilcoxon p < 2.2*10- 16; AUC 0.94). CONCLUSIONS Inflammation and immunity-related serum proteins have the potential to rise above the classical prognostic factors of early-stage breast cancer. They may also help to distinguish benign from malignant breast lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peeter Karihtala
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 180, Helsinki, FI-00029, Finland.
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Suvi-Katri Leivonen
- Applied Tumor Genomics, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulla Puistola
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Research Center, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, Oulu, Finland
| | - Elina Urpilainen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Research Center, Research Unit of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anniina Jääskeläinen
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy, Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Sirpa Leppä
- Department of Oncology, Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 180, Helsinki, FI-00029, Finland
- Applied Tumor Genomics, Research Programs Unit, Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arja Jukkola
- Department of Oncology, Tampere Cancer Center, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Jo G, Chae JB, Jung SA, Lyu J, Chung H, Lee JH. Sulfated CXCR3 Peptide Trap Use as a Promising Therapeutic Approach for Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Biomedicines 2024; 12:241. [PMID: 38275412 PMCID: PMC10813770 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines12010241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Chemokines have various biological functions and potential roles in the development or progression of neuroinflammatory diseases. However, the specific pathogenic roles of chemokines in the major cause for vision loss among the elderly, the leading cause of blindness in older individuals, remain elusive. Chemokines interact with their receptors expressed in the endothelium and on leukocytes. The sulfation of tyrosine residues in chemokine receptors increases the strength of ligand-receptor interaction and modulates signaling. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to construct a human recombinant sulfated CXCR3 peptide trap (hCXCR3-S2) and mouse recombinant sulfated CXCR3 peptide trap (mCXCR3-S2) to demonstrate in vivo effects in preventing choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and chemotaxis. MATERIALS AND METHODS We generated expression vectors for mCXCR3-S2 and hCXCR3-S2 with GST domains and their respective cDNA sequences. Following overexpression in E. coli BL21 (DE3), we purified the fusion proteins from cell lysates using affinity chromatography. First, the impact of hCXCR3-S2 was validated in vitro. Subsequently, the in vivo efficacy of mCXCR3-S2 was investigated using a laser-induced CNV mouse model, a mouse model of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). RESULTS hCXCR3-S2 inhibited the migration and invasion of two human cancer cell lines. Intravitreal injection of mCXCR3-S2 attenuated CNV and macrophage recruitment in neovascular lesions of mouse models. These in vitro and in vivo effects were significantly stronger with CXCR3-S2 than with wild-type CXCR3 peptides. CONCLUSION These findings demonstrate that the sulfated form of the CXCR3 peptide trap is a valuable tool that could be supplemented with antivascular endothelial growth factors in AMD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gukheui Jo
- Myung-Gok Eye Research Institute, Kim’s Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 07301, Republic of Korea; (G.J.); (S.-A.J.)
| | - Jae-Byoung Chae
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University College of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea;
| | - Sun-Ah Jung
- Myung-Gok Eye Research Institute, Kim’s Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 07301, Republic of Korea; (G.J.); (S.-A.J.)
| | - Jungmook Lyu
- Department of Medical Science, Konyang University, Seo-gu, Daejeon 35365, Republic of Korea;
| | - Hyewon Chung
- Department of Ophthalmology, Konkuk University College of Medicine, Seoul 05029, Republic of Korea;
| | - Joon H. Lee
- Myung-Gok Eye Research Institute, Kim’s Eye Hospital, Konyang University College of Medicine, Seoul 07301, Republic of Korea; (G.J.); (S.-A.J.)
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Saulters EL, Kennedy PT, Carter RJ, Alsufyani A, Jones TM, Woolley JF, Dahal LN. Differential Regulation of the STING Pathway in Human Papillomavirus-Positive and -Negative Head and Neck Cancers. Cancer Res Commun 2024; 4:118-133. [PMID: 38147007 PMCID: PMC10793589 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Squamous cell carcinomas, which arise from the cells that line the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck, represent the most common type of head and neck cancers (HNSCC). Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection has been strongly associated with the development of oropharyngeal cancers, which are cancers that occur in the back of the throat, including the tonsils and base of the tongue. HNSCCs with and without HPV infection have distinct pathology, with HPV-positive patients having higher levels of immune infiltration, activation in the tumor microenvironment and better response to radiation and chemotherapy. It is, however, unclear whether HPV infection in HNSCCs has the potential to activate innate-immune sensing pathways and if these cancers possess intrinsic immunogenicity associated with HPV infection. Here we investigate the innate immune stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway and immune responses to STING activation in HNSCCs and uncover fundamental differences in the regulation of this pathway in cell lines versus primary human clinical specimens. We show that while STING is differentially expressed in HPV-positive and -negative HNSCC cell lines, they exhibit a gross functional defect in signaling through this pathway. However, STING activation in immune cell populations generated immune signatures predicted to elicit useful tumoricidal mechanisms. In contrast, IHC analysis of human tissue microarrays revealed enhanced STING expression in HPV-related tumors and high intratumoral expression of STING correlated with increased survival. SIGNIFICANCE STING is an important innate immune sensor of cytosolic DNA, inducing essential antiviral and antitumoral responses. This research shows that STING expression is enhanced in HPV-positive HNSCC patient tissue, with high intratumoral STING expression correlating with increased survival. In addition, STING activation in immune cell populations augmented antitumoral effects against HNSCCs, suggesting patients may benefit from the use of STING agonists in combination with traditional therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Saulters
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paul T. Kennedy
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel J. Carter
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Abdullah Alsufyani
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Terence M. Jones
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - John F. Woolley
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Lekh N. Dahal
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Dragan P, Joshi K, Atzei A, Latek D. Keras/TensorFlow in Drug Design for Immunity Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15009. [PMID: 37834457 PMCID: PMC10573944 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241915009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Homeostasis of the host immune system is regulated by white blood cells with a variety of cell surface receptors for cytokines. Chemotactic cytokines (chemokines) activate their receptors to evoke the chemotaxis of immune cells in homeostatic migrations or inflammatory conditions towards inflamed tissue or pathogens. Dysregulation of the immune system leading to disorders such as allergies, autoimmune diseases, or cancer requires efficient, fast-acting drugs to minimize the long-term effects of chronic inflammation. Here, we performed structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) assisted by the Keras/TensorFlow neural network (NN) to find novel compound scaffolds acting on three chemokine receptors: CCR2, CCR3, and one CXC receptor, CXCR3. Keras/TensorFlow NN was used here not as a typically used binary classifier but as an efficient multi-class classifier that can discard not only inactive compounds but also low- or medium-activity compounds. Several compounds proposed by SBVS and NN were tested in 100 ns all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to confirm their binding affinity. To improve the basic binding affinity of the compounds, new chemical modifications were proposed. The modified compounds were compared with known antagonists of these three chemokine receptors. Known CXCR3 compounds were among the top predicted compounds; thus, the benefits of using Keras/TensorFlow in drug discovery have been shown in addition to structure-based approaches. Furthermore, we showed that Keras/TensorFlow NN can accurately predict the receptor subtype selectivity of compounds, for which SBVS often fails. We cross-tested chemokine receptor datasets retrieved from ChEMBL and curated datasets for cannabinoid receptors. The NN model trained on the cannabinoid receptor datasets retrieved from ChEMBL was the most accurate in the receptor subtype selectivity prediction. Among NN models trained on the chemokine receptor datasets, the CXCR3 model showed the highest accuracy in differentiating the receptor subtype for a given compound dataset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Dragan
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland; (P.D.); (A.A.)
| | - Kavita Joshi
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland; (P.D.); (A.A.)
| | - Alessandro Atzei
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland; (P.D.); (A.A.)
- Department of Life and Environmental Science, Food Toxicology Unit, University of Cagliari, University Campus of Monserrato, SS 554, 09042 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Dorota Latek
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Pasteura 1, 02-903 Warsaw, Poland; (P.D.); (A.A.)
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Quan Y, He J, Zou Q, Zhang L, Sun Q, Huang H, Li W, Xie K, Wei F. Low molecular weight heparin synergistically enhances the efficacy of adoptive and anti-PD-1-based immunotherapy by increasing lymphocyte infiltration in colorectal cancer. J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:e007080. [PMID: 37597850 PMCID: PMC10441131 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-007080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy, including adoptive cell therapy (ACT) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), has a limited effect in most patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), and the efficacy is further limited in patients with liver metastasis. Lack of antitumor lymphocyte infiltration could be a major cause, and there remains an urgent need for more potent and safer therapies for CRC. METHODS In this study, the antitumoral synergism of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) combined with immunotherapy in the microsatellite stable (MSS) highly aggressive murine model of CRC was fully evaluated. RESULTS Dual LMWH and ACT objectively mediated the stagnation of tumor growth and inhibition of liver metastasis, neither LMWH nor ACT alone had any antitumoral activity on them. The combination of LMWH and ACT obviously increased the infiltration of intratumor CD8+ T cells, as revealed by multiplex immunohistochemistry, purified CD8+ T-cell transfer assay, and IVIM in vivo imaging. Mechanistically, evaluation of changes in the tumor microenvironment revealed that LMWH improved tumor vascular normalization and facilitated the trafficking of activated CD8+ T cells into tumors. Similarly, LMWH combined with anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy provided superior antitumor activity as compared with the single PD-1 blockade in murine CT26 tumor models. CONCLUSIONS LMWH could enhance ACT and ICIs-based immunotherapy by increasing lymphocyte infiltration into tumors, especially cytotoxic CD8+ T cells. These results indicate that combining LMWH with an immunotherapy strategy presents a promising and safe approach for CRC treatment, especially in MSS tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibo Quan
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie He
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Department of Immunology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Zou
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Department of Immunology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liuxi Zhang
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Department of Immunology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qihui Sun
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Department of Immunology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongli Huang
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wanglin Li
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Keping Xie
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Department of Immunology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fang Wei
- Guangzhou Digestive Disease Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital and The Second Affiliated Hospital, South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
- Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research and Department of Immunology, The South China University of Technology School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
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Cisoń-Jurek S, Czajka-Francuz P, Francuz T, Owczarek AJ, Szymczak B, Wojnar J, Chudek J. The Value of Prolactin, a Panel of Cytokines, and the Soluble Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 in the Prediction of Rapid Progression and Shorter Survival during Palliative Chemotherapy of Colorectal Cancer Patients. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2014. [PMID: 37509653 PMCID: PMC10377747 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11072014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The prediction of colorectal cancer (CRC) response to palliative chemotherapy (CTH) is still difficult. Patients at a higher risk of progression may benefit from more aggressive treatment. This study assessed the predictive value of prolactin (PRL) and a panel of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors for the risk of rapid progression in CRC patients starting palliative CTH. This study included 51 CRC patients initiating palliative CTH with up to 5-year follow-up, divided into rapid and non-rapid progressors. Serum samples were collected before CTH for assessment of a large panel of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, and PRL via a multiplex method. Rapid progressors (N = 19) were characterized by increased baseline values of IL-8 and IP10 but decreased PRL levels. In addition, PRL below 18.2 ng/mL was a strong predictor of weight loss during CTH. Grade 3 (HR = 2.97; 95%CI: 1.48-5.98) and PRL level (HR = 0.96; 95%CI: 0.91-1.01) were independent risk factors of progression. We showed that CRC rapid progressors are characterized by decreased baseline PRL levels. In addition, increased baseline levels of IP-10, sHER-2, IL-6, and IL-8 may be associated with longer survival; however, larger studies are needed to confirm their predictive role in CRC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Cisoń-Jurek
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncological Chemotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Str. Reymonta 8, 40-027 Katowice, Poland
| | - Paulina Czajka-Francuz
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncological Chemotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Str. Reymonta 8, 40-027 Katowice, Poland
| | - Tomasz Francuz
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Str. Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Aleksander J Owczarek
- Health Promotion and Obesity Management Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Silesian Medical University, Str. Medyków 18, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
| | - Bożena Szymczak
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncological Chemotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Str. Reymonta 8, 40-027 Katowice, Poland
| | - Jerzy Wojnar
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncological Chemotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Str. Reymonta 8, 40-027 Katowice, Poland
| | - Jerzy Chudek
- Department of Internal Medicine and Oncological Chemotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Str. Reymonta 8, 40-027 Katowice, Poland
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Shpakov AO. Allosteric Regulation of G-Protein-Coupled Receptors: From Diversity of Molecular Mechanisms to Multiple Allosteric Sites and Their Ligands. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6187. [PMID: 37047169 PMCID: PMC10094638 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Allosteric regulation is critical for the functioning of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) and their signaling pathways. Endogenous allosteric regulators of GPCRs are simple ions, various biomolecules, and protein components of GPCR signaling (G proteins and β-arrestins). The stability and functional activity of GPCR complexes is also due to multicenter allosteric interactions between protomers. The complexity of allosteric effects caused by numerous regulators differing in structure, availability, and mechanisms of action predetermines the multiplicity and different topology of allosteric sites in GPCRs. These sites can be localized in extracellular loops; inside the transmembrane tunnel and in its upper and lower vestibules; in cytoplasmic loops; and on the outer, membrane-contacting surface of the transmembrane domain. They are involved in the regulation of basal and orthosteric agonist-stimulated receptor activity, biased agonism, GPCR-complex formation, and endocytosis. They are targets for a large number of synthetic allosteric regulators and modulators, including those constructed using molecular docking. The review is devoted to the principles and mechanisms of GPCRs allosteric regulation, the multiplicity of allosteric sites and their topology, and the endogenous and synthetic allosteric regulators, including autoantibodies and pepducins. The allosteric regulation of chemokine receptors, proteinase-activated receptors, thyroid-stimulating and luteinizing hormone receptors, and beta-adrenergic receptors are described in more detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander O Shpakov
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194223 St. Petersburg, Russia
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Costantini S, Madonna G, Di Gennaro E, Capone F, Bagnara P, Capone M, Sale S, Nicastro C, Atripaldi L, Fiorentino G, Parrella R, Montesarchio V, Atripaldi L, Ascierto PA, Budillon A. New Insights into the Identification of Metabolites and Cytokines Predictive of Outcome for Patients with Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection Showed Similarity with Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24. [PMID: 36902351 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection is characterized by several clinical manifestations, ranging from the absence of symptoms to severe forms that necessitate intensive care treatment. It is known that the patients with the highest rate of mortality develop increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, called the "cytokine storm", which is similar to inflammatory processes that occur in cancer. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 infection induces modifications in host metabolism leading to metabolic reprogramming, which is closely linked to metabolic changes in cancer. A better understanding of the correlation between perturbed metabolism and inflammatory responses is necessary. We evaluated untargeted plasma metabolomics and cytokine profiling via 1H-NMR (proton nuclear magnetic resonance) and multiplex Luminex assay, respectively, in a training set of a limited number of patients with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection classified on the basis of their outcome. Univariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves related to hospitalization time showed that lower levels of several metabolites and cytokines/growth factors, correlated with a good outcome in these patients and these data were confirmed in a validation set of patients with similar characteristics. However, after the multivariate analysis, only the growth factor HGF, lactate and phenylalanine retained a significant prediction of survival. Finally, the combined analysis of lactate and phenylalanine levels correctly predicted the outcome of 83.3% of patients in both the training and the validation set. We highlighted that the cytokines and metabolites involved in COVID-19 patients' poor outcomes are similar to those responsible for cancer development and progression, suggesting the possibility of targeting them by repurposing anticancer drugs as a therapeutic strategy against severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Xiao W, Huang H, Zheng P, Liu Y, Chen Y, Chen J, Zheng X, Chen L, Jiang J. The CXCL10/CXCR3 Pathway Contributes to the Synergy of Thermal Ablation and PD-1 Blockade Therapy against Tumors. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15. [PMID: 36900218 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15051427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As a practical local therapeutic approach to destroy tumor tissue, thermal ablation can activate tumor-specific T cells via enhancing tumor antigen presentation to the immune system. In the present study, we investigated changes in infiltrating immune cells in tumor tissues from the non-radiofrequency ablation (RFA) side by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of tumor-bearing mice compared with control tumors. We showed that ablation treatment could increase the proportion of CD8+T cells and the interaction between macrophages and T cells was altered. Another thermal ablation treatment, microwave ablation (MWA), increased the enrichment of signaling pathways for chemotaxis and chemokine response and was associated with the chemokine CXCL10. In addition, the immune checkpoint PD-1 was especially up-regulated in the infiltrating T cells of tumors on the non-ablation side after thermal ablation treatment. Combination therapy of ablation and PD-1 blockade had a synergistic anti-tumor effect. Furthermore, we found that the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis contributed to the therapeutic efficacy of ablation combined with anti-PD-1 therapy, and activation of the CXCL10/CXCR3 signaling pathway might improve the synergistic effect of this combination treatment against solid tumors.
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