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Li FL, Gu LH, Tong YL, Chen RQ, Chen SY, Yu XL, Liu N, Lu JL, Si Y, Sun JH, Chen J, Long YR, Gong LK. INHBA promotes tumor growth and induces resistance to PD-L1 blockade by suppressing IFN-γ signaling. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024:10.1038/s41401-024-01381-x. [PMID: 39223366 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01381-x] [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: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Inhibin beta A (INHBA) and its homodimer activin A have pleiotropic effects on modulation of immune responses and tumor progression, but it remains uncertain whether tumors may release activin A to regulate anti-tumor immunity. In this study we investigated the effects and mechanisms of tumor intrinsic INHBA on carcinogenesis, tumor immunity and PD-L1 blockade. Bioinformatic analysis on the TCGA database revealed that INHBA expression levels were elevated in 33 cancer types, including breast cancer (BRCA) and colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). In addition, survival analysis also corroborated that INHBA expression was negatively correlated with the prognosis of many types of cancer patients. We demonstrated that gain or loss function of Inhba did not alter in vitro growth of colorectal cancer CT26 cells, but had striking impact on mouse tumor models including CT26, MC38, B16 and 4T1 models. By using the TIMER 2.0 tool, we figured out that in most cancer types, Inhba expression in tumors was inversely associated with the infiltration of CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells. In CT26 tumor-bearing mice, overexpression of tumor INHBA eliminated the anti-tumor effect of the PD-L1 antibody atezolizumab, whereas INHBA deficiency enhanced the efficacy of atezolizumab. We revealed that tumor INHBA significantly downregulated the interferon-γ (IFN-γ) signaling pathway. Tumor INHBA overexpression led to lower expression of PD-L1 induced by IFN-γ, resulting in poor responsiveness to anti-PD-L1 treatment. On the other hand, decreased secretion of IFN-γ-stimulated chemokines, including C-X-C motif chemokine 9 (CXCL9) and 10 (CXCL10), impaired the infiltration of effector T cells into the tumor microenvironment (TME). Furthermore, the activin A-specific antibody garetosmab improved anti-tumor immunity and its combination with the anti-PD-L1 antibody atezolizumab showed a superior therapeutic effect to monotherapy with garetosmab or atezolizumab. We demonstrate that INHBA and activin A are involved in anti-tumor immunity by inhibiting the IFN-γ signaling pathway, which can be considered as potential targets to improve the responsive rate of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Lin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Long-Hua Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yong-Liang Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Run-Qiu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- Department of Microbiological and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Shi-Yi Chen
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiao-Lu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Nan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jiang-Ling Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yuan Si
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jian-Hua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, 528400, China
| | - Jing Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yi-Ru Long
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Li-Kun Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, 528400, China.
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Minvielle Moncla LH, Briend M, Sokhna Sylla M, Mathieu S, Rufiange A, Bossé Y, Mathieu P. Mendelian randomization reveals interactions of the blood proteome and immunome in mitral valve prolapse. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:108. [PMID: 38844506 PMCID: PMC11156961 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00530-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is a common heart disorder characterized by an excessive production of proteoglycans and extracellular matrix in mitral valve leaflets. Large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) underlined that MVP is heritable. The molecular underpinnings of the disease remain largely unknown. METHODS We interrogated cross-modality data totaling more than 500,000 subjects including GWAS, 4809 molecules of the blood proteome, and genome-wide expression of mitral valves to identify candidate drivers of MVP. Data were investigated through Mendelian randomization, network analysis, ligand-receptor inference and digital cell quantification. RESULTS In this study, Mendelian randomization identify that 33 blood proteins, enriched in networks for immunity, are associated with the risk of MVP. MVP- associated blood proteins are enriched in ligands for which their cognate receptors are differentially expressed in mitral valve leaflets during MVP and enriched in cardiac endothelial cells and macrophages. MVP-associated blood proteins are involved in the renewal-polarization of macrophages and regulation of adaptive immune response. Cytokine activity profiling and digital cell quantification show in MVP a shift toward cytokine signature promoting M2 macrophage polarization. Assessment of druggability identify CSF1R, CX3CR1, CCR6, IL33, MMP8, ENPEP and angiotensin receptors as actionable targets in MVP. CONCLUSIONS Hence, integrative analysis identifies networks of candidate molecules and cells involved in immune control and remodeling of the extracellular matrix, which drive the risk of MVP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mewen Briend
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Mame Sokhna Sylla
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Mathieu
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Anne Rufiange
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Yohan Bossé
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Patrick Mathieu
- Genomic Medicine Laboratory, Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
- Department of Surgery, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
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Divolis G, Synolaki E, Doulou A, Gavriil A, Giannouli CC, Apostolidou A, Foster ML, Matzuk MM, Skendros P, Galani IE, Sideras P. Neutrophil-derived Activin-A moderates their pro-NETotic activity and attenuates collateral tissue damage caused by Influenza A virus infection. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1302489. [PMID: 38476229 PMCID: PMC10929267 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1302489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Pre-neutrophils, while developing in the bone marrow, transcribe the Inhba gene and synthesize Activin-A protein, which they store and release at the earliest stage of their activation in the periphery. However, the role of neutrophil-derived Activin-A is not completely understood. Methods To address this issue, we developed a neutrophil-specific Activin-A-deficient animal model (S100a8-Cre/Inhba fl/fl mice) and analyzed the immune response to Influenza A virus (IAV) infection. More specifically, evaluation of body weight and lung mechanics, molecular and cellular analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids, flow cytometry and cell sorting of lung cells, as well as histopathological analysis of lung tissues, were performed in PBS-treated and IAV-infected transgenic animals. Results We found that neutrophil-specific Activin-A deficiency led to exacerbated pulmonary inflammation and widespread hemorrhagic histopathology in the lungs of IAV-infected animals that was associated with an exuberant production of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Moreover, deletion of the Activin-A receptor ALK4/ACVR1B in neutrophils exacerbated IAV-induced pathology as well, suggesting that neutrophils themselves are potential targets of Activin-A-mediated signaling. The pro-NETotic tendency of Activin-A-deficient neutrophils was further verified in the context of thioglycollate-induced peritonitis, a model characterized by robust peritoneal neutrophilia. Of importance, transcriptome analysis of Activin-A-deficient neutrophils revealed alterations consistent with a predisposition for NET release. Conclusion Collectively, our data demonstrate that Activin-A, secreted by neutrophils upon their activation in the periphery, acts as a feedback mechanism to moderate their pro-NETotic tendency and limit the collateral tissue damage caused by neutrophil excess activation during the inflammatory response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgios Divolis
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Evgenia Synolaki
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Athanasia Doulou
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ariana Gavriil
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina C. Giannouli
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasia Apostolidou
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | | | - Martin M. Matzuk
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Drug Discovery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Panagiotis Skendros
- Laboratory of Molecular Hematology, Department of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
- First Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ioanna-Evdokia Galani
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Paschalis Sideras
- Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Wang J, Zhao X, Wan YY. Intricacies of TGF-β signaling in Treg and Th17 cell biology. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:1002-1022. [PMID: 37217798 PMCID: PMC10468540 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01036-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Balanced immunity is pivotal for health and homeostasis. CD4+ helper T (Th) cells are central to the balance between immune tolerance and immune rejection. Th cells adopt distinct functions to maintain tolerance and clear pathogens. Dysregulation of Th cell function often leads to maladies, including autoimmunity, inflammatory disease, cancer, and infection. Regulatory T (Treg) and Th17 cells are critical Th cell types involved in immune tolerance, homeostasis, pathogenicity, and pathogen clearance. It is therefore critical to understand how Treg and Th17 cells are regulated in health and disease. Cytokines are instrumental in directing Treg and Th17 cell function. The evolutionarily conserved TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) cytokine superfamily is of particular interest because it is central to the biology of both Treg cells that are predominantly immunosuppressive and Th17 cells that can be proinflammatory, pathogenic, and immune regulatory. How TGF-β superfamily members and their intricate signaling pathways regulate Treg and Th17 cell function is a question that has been intensely investigated for two decades. Here, we introduce the fundamental biology of TGF-β superfamily signaling, Treg cells, and Th17 cells and discuss in detail how the TGF-β superfamily contributes to Treg and Th17 cell biology through complex yet ordered and cooperative signaling networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junying Wang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Xingqi Zhao
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Yisong Y Wan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
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5
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Hatamzade Esfahani N, Day AS. The Role of TGF-β, Activin and Follistatin in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS 2023; 5:167-186. [DOI: 10.3390/gidisord5020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an immune-mediated inflammatory condition predominantly affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. An increasing prevalence of IBD has been observed globally. The pathogenesis of IBD includes a complex interplay between the intestinal microbiome, diet, genetic factors and immune responses. The consequent imbalance of inflammatory mediators ultimately leads to intestinal mucosal damage and defective repair. Growth factors, given their specific roles in maintaining the homeostasis and integrity of the intestinal epithelium, are of particular interest in the setting of IBD. Furthermore, direct targeting of growth factor signalling pathways involved in the regeneration of the damaged epithelium and the regulation of inflammation could be considered as therapeutic options for individuals with IBD. Several members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily, particularly TGF-β, activin and follistatin, are key candidates as they exhibit various roles in inflammatory processes and contribute to maintenance and homeostasis in the GI tract. This article aimed firstly to review the events involved in the pathogenesis of IBD with particular emphasis on TGF-β, activin and follistatin and secondly to outline the potential role of therapeutic manipulation of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew S. Day
- Paediatric Department, University of Otago Christchurch, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand
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6
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Evans ET, Horst B, Arend RC, Mythreye K. Evolving roles of activins and inhibins in ovarian cancer pathophysiology. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2023; 324:C428-C437. [PMID: 36622068 PMCID: PMC9902228 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00178.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Activins and inhibins are unique members of the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) family of growth factors, with the ability to exert autocrine, endocrine, and paracrine effects in a wide range of complex physiologic and pathologic processes. Although first isolated within the pituitary, emerging evidence suggests broader influence beyond reproductive development and function. Known roles of activin and inhibin in angiogenesis and immunity along with correlations between gene expression and cancer prognosis suggest potential roles in tumorigenesis. Here, we present a review of the current understanding of the biological role of activins and inhibins as it relates to ovarian cancers, summarizing the underlying signaling mechanisms and physiologic influence, followed by detailing their roles in cancer progression, diagnosis, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T Evans
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Ben Horst
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Rebecca C Arend
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Karthikeyan Mythreye
- Department of Pathology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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7
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Pant S, Bhati T, Dimri A, Arora R, Siraj F, Raisuddin S, Rastogi S. Chlamydia trachomatis infection regulates the expression of tetraspanins, activin-A, and inhibin-A in tubal ectopic pregnancy. Pathog Dis 2023; 81:ftad018. [PMID: 37480234 DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftad018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanism of Chlamydia trachomatis causing tubal ectopic pregnancy (EP) is not well understood. Tetraspanins (tspans), activin-A, and inhibin-A might play a role in the development of pathological conditions leading to EP. The study aimed to elucidate the expression of tspans, activin-A, and inhibin-A with a role of associated cytokines in C. trachomatis-associated EP and analyze interacting partners of DEGs, with an expression of a few important interacting genes. Fallopian tissue and serum were collected from 100 EP (Group I) and 100 controls (Group II) from SJH, New Delhi, India. Detection of C. trachomatis was done by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and IgG antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression of tspans, activin-A, inhibin-A, and cytokines was analyzed by real time (RT)-PCR and their interacting genes were assessed by STRING. Expression of few disease-associated interacting genes was studied by RT-PCR. A total of 29% (Group I) were C. trachomatis positive. Tspans and activin-A were significantly upregulated, while inhibin-A was significantly downregulated in Group Ia. ITGA1, TLR-2, ITGB2, and Smad-3 were a few interacting genes. Expression of ITGA1, TLR-2, and Smad-3 was significantly upregulated in C. trachomatis-positive EP. Results suggested dysregulated tspans, activin-A, and inhibin-A might play a role in C. trachomatis-infected tubal EP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shipra Pant
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Sriramachari Bhawan, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, Post Box 4909, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Tanu Bhati
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Sriramachari Bhawan, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, Post Box 4909, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Astha Dimri
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Sriramachari Bhawan, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, Post Box 4909, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Renu Arora
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Fouzia Siraj
- Pathology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Sriramachari Bhawan, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, Post Box 4909, New Delhi 110029, India
| | - Sheikh Raisuddin
- Department of Medical Elementology and Toxicology, Jamia Hamdard, Hamdard Nagar, New Delhi 10062, India
| | - Sangita Rastogi
- Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, ICMR-National Institute of Pathology, Sriramachari Bhawan, Safdarjung Hospital Campus, Post Box 4909, New Delhi 110029, India
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Zheng N, Wen R, Zhou L, Meng Q, Zheng K, Li Z, Cao F, Zhang W. Multiregion single cell analysis reveals a novel subtype of cancer-associated fibroblasts located in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer. Transl Oncol 2023; 27:101570. [PMID: 36371957 PMCID: PMC9660844 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2022.101570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in shaping tumor progression and determining the outcome of the therapeutic response. In this study, we aimed to generate a comprehensive cellular landscape of the colorectal cancer (CRC) TME. METHODS We generated a comprehensive single-cell atlas by collecting CRC cases that have been uploaded to the online database and conducting an in-depth secondary analysis. We then carried out spatial transcriptomic sequencing and multiple immunohistochemical analyses to verify the results of the single-cell analysis. Moreover, we applied our findings to the TCGA database and used tissue microarray (TMA) on CRC tissue specimens to validate clinical prognosis. FINDINGS We re-analyzed the transcriptomes of 23785 cells, revealing a pattern of cell heterogeneity in the tumor region, leading-edge region, and non-tumor region. A subtype of COL11A1+INHBA+ tumor-resident cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) was identified, and marker genes, transcription factors, and tissue-specific expression differences were noted and suggested to have potential roles in promoting cancer. We further confirmed that COL11A1+INHBA+ tumor-resident CAFs are mainly located in the hypoxic TME and we propose that they interact with CD44+ CRC cells via INHBA. Elevation of INHBA in CRC is associated with a poor prognosis. INTERPRETATION Our results demonstrated a single cell landscape of CRC in different regions and identified in hypoxic TME a special subtype of CAFs producing INHBA, which promotes CRC development and correlates with poor prognosis. This special subtype of CAFs is a candidate target for translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanxin Zheng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rongbo Wen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Leqi Zhou
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingying Meng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kuo Zheng
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhixuan Li
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Medical Innovation Research Division and Fourth Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
| | - Fuao Cao
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
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Li F, Long Y, Yu X, Tong Y, Gong L. Different Immunoregulation Roles of Activin A Compared With TGF-β. Front Immunol 2022; 13:921366. [PMID: 35774793 PMCID: PMC9237220 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.921366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A, a critical member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily, is a pluripotent factor involved in allergies, autoimmune diseases, cancers and other diseases with immune disorder. Similar to its family member, TGF-β, activin A also transmits signals through SMAD2/SMAD3, however, they bind to distinct receptors. Recent studies have uncovered that activin A plays a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immune systems. Here we mainly focus its effects on activation, differentiation, proliferation and function of cells which are indispensable in the immune system and meanwhile make some comparisons with those of TGF-β.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanglin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiru Long
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolu Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yongliang Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Likun Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, China
- *Correspondence: Likun Gong,
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Cancer Cachexia and Antitumor Immunity: Common Mediators and Potential Targets for New Therapies. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12060880. [PMID: 35743911 PMCID: PMC9225288 DOI: 10.3390/life12060880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Cancer cachexia syndrome (CCS) is a multifactorial metabolic syndrome affecting a significant proportion of patients. CCS is characterized by progressive weight loss, alterations of body composition and a systemic inflammatory status, which exerts a major impact on the host’s innate and adaptive immunity. Over the last few years, the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) transformed the treatment landscape for a wide spectrum of malignancies, creating an unprecedented opportunity for long term remissions in a significant subset of patients. Early clinical data indicate that CCS adversely impairs treatment outcomes of patients receiving ICIs. We herein reviewed existing evidence on the potential links between the mechanisms that promote the catabolic state in CCS and those that impair the antitumor immune response. We show that the biological mediators and processes leading to the development of CCS may also participate in the modulation and the sustainment of an immune suppressive tumor microenvironment and impaired anti-tumor immunity. Moreover, we demonstrate that the deregulation of the host’s metabolic homeostasis in cancer cachexia is associated with resistance to ICIs. Further research on the interrelation between cancer cachexia and anti-tumor immunity is required for the effective management of resistance to immunotherapy in this specific but large subgroup of ICI treated individuals.
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Pinjusic K, Dubey OA, Egorova O, Nassiri S, Meylan E, Faget J, Constam DB. Activin-A impairs CD8 T cell-mediated immunity and immune checkpoint therapy response in melanoma. J Immunother Cancer 2022; 10:jitc-2022-004533. [PMID: 35580932 PMCID: PMC9125758 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-004533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Activin-A, a transforming growth factor β family member, is secreted by many cancer types and is often associated with poor disease prognosis. Previous studies have shown that Activin-A expression can promote cancer progression and reduce the intratumoral frequency of cytotoxic T cells. However, the underlying mechanisms and the significance of Activin-A expression for cancer therapies are unclear. Methods We analyzed the expression of the Activin-A encoding gene INHBA in melanoma patients and the influence of its gain- or loss-of-function on the immune infiltration and growth of BRAF-driven YUMM3.3 and iBIP2 mouse melanoma grafts and in B16 models. Using antibody depletion strategies, we investigated the dependence of Activin-A tumor-promoting effect on different immune cells. Immune-regulatory effects of Activin-A were further characterized in vitro and by an adoptive transfer of T cells. Finally, we assessed INHBA expression in melanoma patients who received immune checkpoint therapy and tested whether it impairs the response in preclinical models. Results We show that Activin-A secretion by melanoma cells inhibits adaptive antitumor immunity irrespective of BRAF status by inhibiting CD8+ T cell infiltration indirectly and even independently of CD4 T cells, at least in part by attenuating the production of CXCL9/10 by myeloid cells. In addition, we show that Activin-A/INHBA expression correlates with anti-PD1 therapy resistance in melanoma patients and impairs the response to dual anti-cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte associated protein 4/anti-PD1 treatment in preclinical models. Conclusions Our findings suggest that strategies interfering with Activin-A induced immune-regulation offer new therapeutic opportunities to overcome CD8 T cell exclusion and immunotherapy resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarina Pinjusic
- School of Life Sciences (SV), ISREC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Andreas Dubey
- School of Life Sciences (SV), ISREC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Olga Egorova
- School of Life Sciences (SV), ISREC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sina Nassiri
- Bioinformatics Core Facility, Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Etienne Meylan
- School of Life Sciences (SV), ISREC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Immuno-Oncology, Bordet Cancer Research Laboratories, Institut Jules Bordet, Faculty of Medicine, and Laboratory of Immunobiology, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Julien Faget
- School of Life Sciences (SV), ISREC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Equipe Immunity and Cancer IRCM, INSERM U1194, Montpellier, France
| | - Daniel Beat Constam
- School of Life Sciences (SV), ISREC, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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12
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Joshi SR, Liu J, Bloom T, Karaca Atabay E, Kuo TH, Lee M, Belcheva E, Spaits M, Grenha R, Maguire MC, Frost JL, Wang K, Briscoe SD, Alexander MJ, Herrin BR, Castonguay R, Pearsall RS, Andre P, Yu PB, Kumar R, Li G. Sotatercept analog suppresses inflammation to reverse experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7803. [PMID: 35551212 PMCID: PMC9098455 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11435-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Sotatercept is an activin receptor type IIA-Fc (ActRIIA-Fc) fusion protein that improves cardiopulmonary function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by selectively trapping activins and growth differentiation factors. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of ActRIIA-Fc action are incompletely understood. Here, we determined through genome-wide expression profiling that inflammatory and immune responses are prominently upregulated in the lungs of a Sugen-hypoxia rat model of severe angio-obliterative PAH, concordant with profiles observed in PAH patients. Therapeutic treatment with ActRIIA-Fc-but not with a vasodilator-strikingly reversed proinflammatory and proliferative gene expression profiles and normalized macrophage infiltration in diseased rodent lungs. Furthermore, ActRIIA-Fc normalized pulmonary macrophage infiltration and corrected cardiopulmonary structure and function in Bmpr2 haploinsufficient mice subjected to hypoxia, a model of heritable PAH. Three high-affinity ligands of ActRIIA-Fc each induced macrophage activation in vitro, and their combined immunoneutralization in PAH rats produced cardiopulmonary benefits comparable to those elicited by ActRIIA-Fc. Our results in complementary experimental and genetic models of PAH reveal therapeutic anti-inflammatory activities of ActRIIA-Fc that, together with its known anti-proliferative effects on vascular cell types, could underlie clinical activity of sotatercept as either monotherapy or add-on to current PAH therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachindra R Joshi
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Jun Liu
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Troy Bloom
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
- Ultivue, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Elif Karaca Atabay
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Tzu-Hsing Kuo
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Michael Lee
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Elitza Belcheva
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Matthew Spaits
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Rosa Grenha
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Michelle C Maguire
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Frost
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Kathryn Wang
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Steven D Briscoe
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Mark J Alexander
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Brantley R Herrin
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Roselyne Castonguay
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - R Scott Pearsall
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
- Cellarity, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Patrick Andre
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Paul B Yu
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Ravindra Kumar
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Discovery Group, Acceleron Pharma Inc., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA.
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13
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Pullikuth AK, Routh ED, Zimmerman KD, Chifman J, Chou JW, Soike MH, Jin G, Su J, Song Q, Black MA, Print C, Bedognetti D, Howard-McNatt M, O’Neill SS, Thomas A, Langefeld CD, Sigalov AB, Lu Y, Miller LD. Bulk and Single-Cell Profiling of Breast Tumors Identifies TREM-1 as a Dominant Immune Suppressive Marker Associated With Poor Outcomes. Front Oncol 2021; 11:734959. [PMID: 34956864 PMCID: PMC8692779 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.734959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundTriggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM)-1 is a key mediator of innate immunity previously associated with the severity of inflammatory disorders, and more recently, the inferior survival of lung and liver cancer patients. Here, we investigated the prognostic impact and immunological correlates of TREM1 expression in breast tumors.MethodsBreast tumor microarray and RNAseq expression profiles (n=4,364 tumors) were analyzed for associations between gene expression, tumor immune subtypes, distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) and clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Single-cell (sc)RNAseq was performed using the 10X Genomics platform. Statistical associations were assessed by logistic regression, Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, Spearman correlation, Student’s t-test and Chi-square test.ResultsIn pre-treatment biopsies, TREM1 and known TREM-1 inducible cytokines (IL1B, IL8) were discovered by a statistical ranking procedure as top genes for which high expression was associated with reduced response to NAC, but only in the context of immunologically “hot” tumors otherwise associated with a high NAC response rate. In surgical specimens, TREM1 expression varied among tumor molecular subtypes, with highest expression in the more aggressive subtypes (Basal-like, HER2-E). High TREM1 significantly and reproducibly associated with inferior distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), independent of conventional prognostic markers. Notably, the association between high TREM1 and inferior DMFS was most prominent in the subset of immunogenic tumors that exhibited the immunologically hot phenotype and otherwise associated with superior DMFS. Further observations from bulk and single-cell RNAseq analyses indicated that TREM1 expression was significantly enriched in polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) and M2-like macrophages, and correlated with downstream transcriptional targets of TREM-1 (IL8, IL-1B, IL6, MCP-1, SPP1, IL1RN, INHBA) which have been previously associated with pro-tumorigenic and immunosuppressive functions.ConclusionsTogether, these findings indicate that increased TREM1 expression is prognostic of inferior breast cancer outcomes and may contribute to myeloid-mediated breast cancer progression and immune suppression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok K. Pullikuth
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Eric D. Routh
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Kip D. Zimmerman
- Center for Precision Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Julia Chifman
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, American University, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Jeff W. Chou
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Michael H. Soike
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Alabama-Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Guangxu Jin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Jing Su
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Data Science, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Qianqian Song
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Center for Cancer Genomics and Precision Oncology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Michael A. Black
- Department of Biochemistry, Otago School of Medical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Cristin Print
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology and Maurice Wilkins Institute, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Davide Bedognetti
- Cancer Program, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar & Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marissa Howard-McNatt
- Surgical Oncology Service, Department of Surgery, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Stacey S. O’Neill
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Pathology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Alexandra Thomas
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Section of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Carl D. Langefeld
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | | | - Yong Lu
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
| | - Lance D. Miller
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- The Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Forest University, Winston Salem, NC, United States
- *Correspondence: Lance D. Miller,
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14
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Macrophages in heterotopic ossification: from mechanisms to therapy. NPJ Regen Med 2021; 6:70. [PMID: 34702860 PMCID: PMC8548514 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-021-00178-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the formation of extraskeletal bone in non-osseous tissues. It is caused by an injury that stimulates abnormal tissue healing and regeneration, and inflammation is involved in this process. It is worth noting that macrophages are crucial mediators of inflammation. In this regard, abundant macrophages are recruited to the HO site and contribute to HO progression. Macrophages can acquire different functional phenotypes and promote mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) osteogenic differentiation, chondrogenic differentiation, and angiogenesis by expressing cytokines and other factors such as the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), activin A (Act A), oncostatin M (OSM), substance P (SP), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). In addition, macrophages significantly contribute to the hypoxic microenvironment, which primarily drives HO progression. Thus, these have led to an interest in the role of macrophages in HO by exploring whether HO is a "butterfly effect" event. Heterogeneous macrophages are regarded as the "butterflies" that drive a sequence of events and ultimately promote HO. In this review, we discuss how the recruitment of macrophages contributes to HO progression. In particular, we review the molecular mechanisms through which macrophages participate in MSC osteogenic differentiation, angiogenesis, and the hypoxic microenvironment. Understanding the diverse role of macrophages may unveil potential targets for the prevention and treatment of HO.
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15
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Park G, Qian W, Zhang MJ, Chen YH, Ma LW, Zeng N, Lu Q, Li YY, Ma WW, Yin XF, Zhou BR, Luo D. Platelet-rich plasma regulating the repair of ultraviolet B-induced acute tissue inflammation: adjusting macrophage polarization through the activin receptor-follistatin system. Bioengineered 2021; 12:3125-3136. [PMID: 34193023 PMCID: PMC8806634 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1944026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet B (UVB) is one of the most common exogenous factors in skin aging, especially photoaging. Once a large amount of UVB accumulates within a short period of time, skin tissue can become inflamed. It has also been found in clinics that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can promote wound repair; therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the mechanism by which PRP repairs UVB-induced skin photodamage. We used PRP of Sprague-Dawley rats with the two-spin technique in the established acute UVB radiation photodamage model and harvested the corresponding skin after 1, 7, and 28 d. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to observe tissue inflammation. We found that PRP reduces inflammation in the early stages of UVB-induced acute skin damage, and then promotes the proliferation of collagen in the middle and late stages. Moreover, PRP can stimulate Act A and M1 polarization in the early stage, while inhibiting activin A (Act A) and inducing M2 polarization in the middle and late stages. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that PRP plays an important regulatory role in helping reduce UVB-induced acute skin tissue inflammation by adjusting macrophage polarization, which alleviates skin inflammation and stimulates collagen regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gajin Park
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wen Qian
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mei-Jie Zhang
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi-He Chen
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li-Wen Ma
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ni Zeng
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Lu
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yue-Yue Li
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei-Wei Ma
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xu-Feng Yin
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bing-Rong Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dan Luo
- Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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16
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Ma C, Qi Y, Liu H, Wu C, Cui X, Liu Z. Inhibitory effect of activin A on IL-9 production by mouse NK cells through Smad3 signaling. Biol Chem 2021; 401:297-308. [PMID: 31400749 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2019-0245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin-9 (IL-9) is a cytokine secreted by T-helper (Th)9 cells, and activin A can enhance Th9 cell differentiation. However, whether activin A affects IL-9 production by natural killer (NK) cells remains unclear. Herein, we found that not only Th cells, but also CD3-CD49b+NKp46+ NK cells of Balb/c mice produced IL-9. Although activin A promoted IL-9 expression in CD4+ Th cells, it inhibited IL-9 production by CD49b+NKp46+ NK cells in mice. Furthermore, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results showed that mouse NK cells could secrete mature IL-9 protein, and activin A inhibited IL-9 release by NK cells. Additionally, activin A inhibited interferon (IFN)-γ production in splenic NK cells in mice, but promoted IL-2 production, and did not alter the production of IL-10. Western blotting results showed that levels of activin type IIA receptor (ActRIIA), Smad3 and phosphorylated-Smad3 (p-SMAD3) protein increased in activin A-treated splenic NK cells, compared with that in control NK cells. The inhibitory effects of activin A on IL-9 production by NK cells were attenuated in the presence of activin antagonist follistatin (FST) or Smad3 knockdown to NK cells. These data suggest that although activin A up-regulates IL-9 expression in Th cells, it inhibits IL-9 production in NK cells through Smad3 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhui Ma
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, 126 Xinmin Street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Yan Qi
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, 126 Xinmin Street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Haiyan Liu
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Chengdong Wu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, 126 Xinmin Street, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xueling Cui
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, 126 Xinmin Street, Changchun 130021, China
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17
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Abdel Mouti M, Pauklin S. TGFB1/INHBA Homodimer/Nodal-SMAD2/3 Signaling Network: A Pivotal Molecular Target in PDAC Treatment. Mol Ther 2021; 29:920-936. [PMID: 33429081 PMCID: PMC7934636 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 10/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer remains a grueling disease that is projected to become the second-deadliest cancer in the next decade. Standard treatment of pancreatic cancer is chemotherapy, which mainly targets the differentiated population of tumor cells; however, it paradoxically sets the roots of tumor relapse by the selective enrichment of intrinsically chemoresistant pancreatic cancer stem cells that are equipped with an indefinite capacity for self-renewal and differentiation, resulting in tumor regeneration and an overall anemic response to chemotherapy. Crosstalk between pancreatic tumor cells and the surrounding stromal microenvironment is also involved in the development of chemoresistance by creating a supportive niche, which enhances the stemness features and tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells. In addition, the desmoplastic nature of the tumor-associated stroma acts as a physical barrier, which limits the intratumoral delivery of chemotherapeutics. In this review, we mainly focus on the transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1)/inhibin subunit beta A (INHBA) homodimer/Nodal-SMAD2/3 signaling network in pancreatic cancer as a pivotal central node that regulates multiple key mechanisms involved in the development of chemoresistance, including enhancement of the stem cell-like properties and tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells, mediating cooperative interactions between pancreatic cancer cells and the surrounding stroma, as well as regulating the deposition of extracellular matrix proteins within the tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai Abdel Mouti
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Headington, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Siim Pauklin
- Botnar Research Centre, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Headington, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review highlights recent discoveries and advances that have been made in understanding the role of the TGFβ superfamily members activins, and in particular, activin A (ActA), in renal disease. RECENT FINDINGS A deleterious role for ActA in renal disease and its complications has begun to emerge. We summarize data supporting an important contribution of ActA to kidney fibrosis and inflammation of varying causes, as well as its role in the development of a particular bone mineral disorder seen in chronic kidney disease (CKD) called mineral bone disorder (MBD), including vascular calcification. Finally, we discuss ActA in the context of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease and review potential approaches to treatment based on ActA blockade. SUMMARY ActA is an important contributor to the pathogenesis of acute and chronic kidney disease of varying causes. Preclinical studies show that ActA inhibition, through various approaches, is protective in rodent models of kidney disease. The potential adverse effects of some of these approaches can be attributed to their targeting of other TGFβ family ligands. Further preclinical and clinical investigations testing the therapeutic efficacy of more selective ActA inhibition on the progression of acute and chronic kidney disease and its impact on bone-mineral disorder would more definitively establish its role in renal disease.
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19
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Qi Y, Jiang L, Wu C, Li J, Wang H, Wang S, Chen X, Cui X, Liu Z. Activin A impairs ActRIIA + neutrophil recruitment into infected skin of mice. iScience 2021; 24:102080. [PMID: 33604525 PMCID: PMC7873648 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A levels are elevated during multiple severe infections and associated with an increased risk of death. However, the role of activin A in bacterial infection is still unclear. Here, we found that activin A levels were increased during S. aureus skin infection in mice. Administration of activin A increased the bacterial burden and promoted the spread of bacteria in vivo. Moreover, activin A inhibited neutrophil chemotaxis to N-formylmethionine-leucyl-phenylalanine via the type IIA activin receptor (ActRIIA) in vitro and impaired ActRIIA+ neutrophil recruitment to infection foci in vivo. Additionally, we identified a novel subpopulation of neutrophils, ActRIIA+ neutrophils, which exhibit superior phagocytic capacity compared to ActRIIA− neutrophils and possess an N2-like immunoregulatory activity via secreting IL-10 and TGF-β. Taken together, these findings indicate that activin A inhibits the recruitment of ActRIIA+ neutrophils to infected foci, leading to the impairment of bacterial clearance, and thus may hamper early infection control. A novel activin A-responsitive subpopulation of neutrophils (ActRIIA+) was identified ActRIIA+ neutrophils exhibit N2-like immunoregulatory properties Activin A inhibits ActRIIA+ neutrophil recruitment to infected skin
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Qi
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Lingling Jiang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.,Department of Oral Comprehensive Therapy, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Chengdong Wu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Heyuan Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Shiji Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.,Department of Critical Care Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xintong Chen
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Xueling Cui
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China
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20
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Wu B, Zhang S, Guo Z, Bi Y, Zhou M, Li P, Seyedsadr M, Xu X, Li JL, Markovic-Plese S, Wan YY. The TGF-β superfamily cytokine Activin-A is induced during autoimmune neuroinflammation and drives pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation. Immunity 2021; 54:308-323.e6. [PMID: 33421362 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Th17 cells are known to exert pathogenic and non-pathogenic functions. Although the cytokine transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is instrumental for Th17 cell differentiation, it is dispensable for generation of pathogenic Th17 cells. Here, we examined the T cell-intrinsic role of Activin-A, a TGF-β superfamily member closely related to TGF-β1, in pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation. Activin-A expression was increased in individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Stimulation with interleukin-6 and Activin-A induced a molecular program that mirrored that of pathogenic Th17 cells and was inhibited by blocking Activin-A signaling. Genetic disruption of Activin-A and its receptor ALK4 in T cells impaired pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation, which was essential for pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation, was suppressed by TGF-β1-ALK5 but not Activin-A-ALK4 signaling. Thus, Activin-A drives pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation, implicating the Activin-A-ALK4-ERK axis as a therapeutic target for Th17 cell-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Wu
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Song Zhang
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Zengli Guo
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Yanmin Bi
- Gene Therapy Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mingxia Zhou
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Ping Li
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | | | - Xiaojiang Xu
- Integrative Bioinformatics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Jian-Liang Li
- Integrative Bioinformatics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA
| | - Silva Markovic-Plese
- Department of Neurology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Yisong Y Wan
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
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21
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Maciuszek M, Pijanowski L, Pekala-Safinska A, Kemenade BMLVV, Chadzinska M. 17β-Estradiol affects the innate immune response in common carp. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2020; 46:1775-1794. [PMID: 32519008 PMCID: PMC7427712 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-020-00827-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Inflammation is the evolutionary conserved immune response to harmful stimuli such as pathogens or damaged cells. This multistep process acts by removing injurious stimuli and initiating the healing process. Therefore, it must be tightly regulated by cytokines, chemokines, and enzymes, as well as neuroendocrine mediators. In the present work, we studied the immunoregulatory properties of 17β-estradiol (E2) in common carp. We determined the in vitro effects of E2 on the activity/polarization of macrophages and the in vivo effects during Aeromonas salmonicida-induced inflammation. In vitro, E2 reduced the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediator genes but did not change the gene expression of the estrogen receptors and of aromatase CYP19. In contrast, in vivo in the head kidney of A. salmonicida-infected fish, E2-treated feeding induced an upregulation of gene expression of pro-inflammatory (il-12p35 and cxcb2) and anti-inflammatory (arginase 1, arginase 2, il-10, and mmp9) mediators. Moreover, in infected fish fed with E2-treated food, a higher gene expression of the estrogen receptors and of the aromatase CYP19 was found. Our results demonstrate that estrogens can modulate the carp innate immune response, though the in vitro and in vivo effects of this hormone are contrasting. This implies that estradiol not only induces a direct effect on macrophages but rather exerts immunomodulatory actions through indirect mechanisms involving other cellular targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Maciuszek
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Lukasz Pijanowski
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Pekala-Safinska
- Department of Fish Diseases, National Veterinary Research Institute, Partyzantow Avenue 57, PL24-100, Pulawy, Poland
| | | | - Magdalena Chadzinska
- Department of Evolutionary Immunology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, PL30-387, Krakow, Poland.
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22
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Yeboah M, Papagregoriou C, Jones DC, Chan HC, Hu G, McPartlan JS, Schiött T, Mattson U, Mockridge CI, Tornberg UC, Hambe B, Ljungars A, Mattsson M, Tews I, Glennie MJ, Thirdborough SM, Trowsdale J, Frendeus B, Chen J, Cragg MS, Roghanian A. LILRB3 (ILT5) is a myeloid cell checkpoint that elicits profound immunomodulation. JCI Insight 2020; 5:141593. [PMID: 32870822 PMCID: PMC7526549 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.141593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in identifying the key immunoregulatory roles of many of the human leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LILR) family members, the function of the inhibitory molecule LILRB3 (ILT5, CD85a, LIR3) remains unclear. Studies indicate a predominant myeloid expression; however, high homology within the LILR family and a relative paucity of reagents have hindered progress toward identifying the function of this receptor. To investigate its function and potential immunomodulatory capacity, a panel of LILRB3-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) was generated. LILRB3-specific mAbs bound to discrete epitopes in Ig-like domain 2 or 4. LILRB3 ligation on primary human monocytes by an agonistic mAb resulted in phenotypic and functional changes, leading to potent inhibition of immune responses in vitro, including significant reduction in T cell proliferation. Importantly, agonizing LILRB3 in humanized mice induced tolerance and permitted efficient engraftment of allogeneic cells. Our findings reveal powerful immunosuppressive functions of LILRB3 and identify it as an important myeloid checkpoint receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muchaala Yeboah
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Charys Papagregoriou
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Des C. Jones
- Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - H.T. Claude Chan
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Guangan Hu
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Justine S. McPartlan
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - C. Ian Mockridge
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | - Ivo Tews
- Institute for Life Sciences and
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Martin J. Glennie
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen M. Thirdborough
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - John Trowsdale
- Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jianzhu Chen
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark S. Cragg
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Ali Roghanian
- Antibody & Vaccine Group, Centre for Cancer Immunology, School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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23
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Wound Repair, Scar Formation, and Cancer: Converging on Activin. Trends Mol Med 2020; 26:1107-1117. [PMID: 32878730 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Wound repair is a highly regulated process that requires the interaction of various cell types. It has been shown that cancers use the mechanisms of wound healing to promote their own growth. Therefore, it is of importance to identify common regulators of wound repair and tumor formation and to unravel their functions and mechanisms of action. An exciting example is activin, which acts on multiple cell types in wounds and tumors, thereby promoting healing, but also scar formation and tumorigenesis. Here, we summarize current knowledge on the role of activin in these processes and highlight the therapeutic potential of activin or activin antagonists for the treatment of impaired healing or excessive scarring and cancer, respectively.
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24
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Hreha TN, Collins CA, Daugherty AL, Griffith JM, Hruska KA, Hunstad DA. Androgen-Influenced Polarization of Activin A-Producing Macrophages Accompanies Post-pyelonephritic Renal Scarring. Front Immunol 2020; 11:1641. [PMID: 32849562 PMCID: PMC7399094 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.01641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Ascending bacterial pyelonephritis, a form of urinary tract infection (UTI) that can result in hospitalization, sepsis, and other complications, occurs in ~250,000 US patients annually; uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause a large majority of these infections. Although UTIs are primarily a disease of women, acute pyelonephritis in males is associated with increased mortality and morbidity, including renal scarring, and end-stage renal disease. Preclinical models of UTI have only recently allowed investigation of sex and sex-hormone effects on pathogenesis. We previously demonstrated that renal scarring after experimental UPEC pyelonephritis is augmented by androgen exposure; testosterone exposure increases both the severity of pyelonephritis and the degree of renal scarring in both male and female mice. Activin A is an important driver of scarring in non-infectious renal injury, as well as a mediator of macrophage polarization. In this work, we investigated how androgen exposure influences immune cell recruitment to the UPEC-infected kidney and how cell-specific activin A production affects post-pyelonephritic scar formation. Compared with vehicle-treated females, androgenized mice exhibited reduced bacterial clearance from the kidney, despite robust myeloid cell recruitment that continued to increase as infection progressed. Infected kidneys from androgenized mice harbored more alternatively activated (M2) macrophages than vehicle-treated mice, reflecting an earlier shift from a pro-inflammatory (M1) phenotype. Androgen exposure also led to a sharp increase in activin A-producing myeloid cells in the infected kidney, as well as decreased levels of follistatin (which normally antagonizes activin action). As a result, infection in androgenized mice featured prolonged polarization of macrophages toward a pro-fibrotic M2a phenotype, accompanied by an increase in M2a-associated cytokines. These data indicate that androgen enhancement of UTI severity and resulting scar formation is related to augmented local activin A production and corresponding promotion of M2a macrophage polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teri N Hreha
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Christina A Collins
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Allyssa L Daugherty
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jessie M Griffith
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Keith A Hruska
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - David A Hunstad
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States.,Department of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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25
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Perakakis N, Kokkinos A, Peradze N, Tentolouris N, Ghaly W, Tsilingiris D, Alexandrou A, Mantzoros CS. Metabolic regulation of activins in healthy individuals and in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Diabetes Metab Res Rev 2020; 36:e3297. [PMID: 32026536 DOI: 10.1002/dmrr.3297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Follistatin binds and inactivates activins, which are potent inhibitors of muscle growth and metabolism and are currently being developed for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We have recently reported that follistatin is regulated by glucose (and not lipids) and can prospectively predict the metabolic improvements observed after bariatric surgery. We utilized novel assays herein to investigate whether activins are regulated by glucose or lipids, whether their circulating levels change after bariatric surgery and whether these changes are predictors of metabolic outcomes up to 12 months later. DESIGN AND METHODS Activin A, B, AB and their ratios to follistatin were measured in (a) healthy humans (n = 32) undergoing oral or intravenous lipid or glucose intake over 6 h, (b) morbidly obese individuals with or without type 2 diabetes undergoing three different types of bariatric surgery (gastric banding, Roux-en-Y bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) in two clinical studies (n = 14 for the first and n = 27 for the second study). RESULTS Glucose intake downregulates circulating activin A, B and AB, indicating the presence of a feedback loop. Activin A decreases (~30%), activin AB increases (~25%) and activin B does not change after bariatric surgery. The changes in activin AB and its ratio to follistatin 3 months after bariatric surgery can predict the BMI reduction and the improvement in insulin and HOMA-IR observed 6 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION Activins are implicated in glucose regulation in humans as part of a feedback loop with glucose or insulin and predict metabolic outcomes prospectively after bariatric surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Perakakis
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Alexander Kokkinos
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Natia Peradze
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Nikolaos Tentolouris
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Wael Ghaly
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Dimitrios Tsilingiris
- First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas Alexandrou
- First Department of Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Christos S Mantzoros
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Medicine, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
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26
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Nono JK, Lutz MB, Brehm K. Expansion of Host Regulatory T Cells by Secreted Products of the Tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Front Immunol 2020; 11:798. [PMID: 32457746 PMCID: PMC7225322 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alveolar echinococcosis (AE), caused by the metacestode larval stage of the fox-tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, is a chronic zoonosis associated with significant modulation of the host immune response. A role of regulatory T-cells (Treg) in generating an immunosuppressive environment around the metacestode during chronic disease has been reported, but the molecular mechanisms of Treg induction by E. multilocularis, particularly parasite immunoregulatory factors involved, remain elusive so far. Methodology/Principal Findings We herein demonstrate that excretory/secretory (E/S) products of the E. multilocularis metacestode promote the formation of Foxp3+ Treg from CD4+ T-cells in vitro in a TGF-β-dependent manner, given that this effect was abrogated by treatment with antibody to mammalian TGF-β. We also show that host T-cells secrete elevated levels of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 in response to metacestode E/S products. Within the E/S fraction of the metacestode we identified an E. multilocularis activin A homolog (EmACT) that displays significant similarities to mammalian Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β/activin subfamily members. EmACT obtained from heterologous expression failed to directly induce Treg expansion from naïve T cells but required addition of recombinant host TGF-β to promote CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg conversion in vitro. Furthermore, like in the case of metacestode E/S products, EmACT-treated CD4+ T-cells secreted higher levels of IL-10. These observations suggest a contribution of EmACT to in vitro expansion of Foxp3+ Treg by the E. multilocularis metacestode. Using infection experiments we show that intraperitoneally injected metacestode tissue expands host Foxp3+ Treg, confirming the expansion of this cell type in vivo during parasite establishment. Conclusion/Significance In conclusion, we herein demonstrate that E. multilocularis larvae secrete factors that induce the secretion of IL-10 by T-cells and contribute to the expansion of TGF-b-driven Foxp3+ Treg, a cell type that has been reported crucial for generating a tolerogenic environment to support parasite establishment and proliferation. Among the E/S factors of the parasite we identified a factor with structural and functional homologies to mammalian activin A which might play an important role in these activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Komguep Nono
- Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Division of Immunology, Health Science Faculty, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- The Medical Research Centre, Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plant Studies, Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation, Yaounde, Cameroon
| | - Manfred B. Lutz
- Institute of Virology and Immunobiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Klaus Brehm
- Institute of Hygiene and Microbiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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27
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Hurdayal R, Nieuwenhuizen NE, Khutlang R, Brombacher F. Inflammatory Dendritic Cells, Regulated by IL-4 Receptor Alpha Signaling, Control Replication, and Dissemination of Leishmania major in Mice. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2020; 9:479. [PMID: 32039054 PMCID: PMC6992597 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne disease caused by Leishmania parasites. Macrophages are considered the primary parasite host cell, but dendritic cells (DCs) play a critical role in initiating adaptive immunity and controlling Leishmania infection. Accordingly, our previous study in CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/lox mice, which have impaired IL-4 receptor alpha (IL-4Rα) expression on CD11c+ cells including DCs, confirmed a protective role for IL-4/IL-13-responsive DCs in replication and dissemination of parasites during cutaneous leishmaniasis. However, it was unclear which DC subset/s was executing this function. To investigate this, we infected CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/lox and control mice with L. major GFP+ parasites and identified subsets of infected DCs by flow cytometry. Three days after infection, CD11b+ DCs and CD103+ DCs were the main infected DC subsets in the footpad and draining lymph node, respectively and by 4 weeks post-infection, Ly6C+ and Ly6C− CD11b+ DCs were the main infected DC populations in both the lymph nodes and footpads. Interestingly, Ly6C+CD11b+ inflammatory monocyte-derived DCs but not Ly6C−CD11b+ DCs hosted parasites in the spleen. Importantly, intracellular parasitism was significantly higher in IL-4Rα-deficient DCs. In terms of DC effector function, we found no change in the expression of pattern-recognition receptors (TLR4 and TLR9) nor in expression of the co-stimulatory marker, CD80, but MHCII expression was lower in CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/lox mice at later time-points compared to the controls. Interestingly, in CD11ccreIL-4Rα−/lox mice, which have reduced Th1 responses, CD11b+ DCs had impaired iNOS production, suggesting that DC IL-4Rα expression and NO production is important for controlling parasite numbers and preventing dissemination. Expression of the alternative activation marker arginase was unchanged in CD11b+ DCs in CD11creIL-4Rα−/lox mice compared to littermate controls, but RELM-α was upregulated, suggesting IL-4Rα-independent alternative activation. In summary, L. major parasites may use Ly6C+CD11b+ inflammatory DCs derived from monocytes recruited to infection as “Trojan horses” to migrate to secondary lymphoid organs and peripheral sites, and DC IL-4Rα expression is important for controlling infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Hurdayal
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, South African Medical Research Council on Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Natalie Eva Nieuwenhuizen
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, South African Medical Research Council on Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Immunology, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rethabile Khutlang
- Identity Authentication Research Group, Defence and Security, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Frank Brombacher
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Cape Town Component, Cape Town, South Africa.,Division of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, South African Medical Research Council on Immunology of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Wellcome Centre for Infectious Diseases Research in Africa, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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28
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Zessner-Spitzenberg J, Thomas AL, Krett NL, Jung B. TGFβ and activin A in the tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer. GENE REPORTS 2019; 17. [PMID: 32154442 DOI: 10.1016/j.genrep.2019.100501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Although overall survival in colorectal cancer (CRC) is increasing steadily due to progress in screening, therapeutic options and precise diagnostic tools remain scarce. As the understanding of CRC as a complex and multifactorial condition moves forward, the tumor microenvironment has come into focus as a source of diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets. The role of TGFβ in shifting the epithelial cancer compartment towards invasiveness and a pro-migratory phenotype via stromal signaling has been widely investigated. Accordingly, recent studies have proposed that CRC patients could be stratified into distinct subtypes and have identified one poor prognosis subset of CRC that is characterized by high stromal activity and elevated levels of TGFβ. The TGFβ superfamily member activin A is crucial for the pro-metastatic properties of the TGFβ pathway, yet it has been under-researched in CRC carcinogenesis. In this review, we will elucidate the signaling network and interdependency of both ligands in the context of the tumor microenvironment in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Zessner-Spitzenberg
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.,Medical University of Vienna, Spitalgasse 23, 1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Alexandra L Thomas
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Nancy L Krett
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Barbara Jung
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois Medical College, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
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29
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Activin-A in the regulation of immunity in health and disease. J Autoimmun 2019; 104:102314. [PMID: 31416681 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2019.102314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The TGF-β superfamily of cytokines plays pivotal roles in the regulation of immune responses protecting against or contributing to diseases, such as, allergy, autoimmunity and cancer. Activin-A, a member of the TGF-β superfamily, was initially identified as an inducer of follicle-stimulating hormone secretion. Extensive research over the past decades illuminated fundamental roles for activin-A in essential biologic processes, including embryonic development, stem cell maintenance and differentiation, haematopoiesis, cell proliferation and tissue fibrosis. Activin-A signals through two type I and two type II receptors which, upon ligand binding, activate their kinase activity, phosphorylate the SMAD2 and 3 intracellular signaling mediators that form a complex with SMAD4, translocate to the nucleus and activate or silence gene expression. Most immune cell types, including macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs), T and B lymphocytes and natural killer cells have the capacity to produce and respond to activin-A, although not in a similar manner. In innate immune cells, including macrophages, DCs and neutrophils, activin-A exerts a broad range of pro- or anti-inflammatory functions depending on the cell maturation and activation status and the spatiotemporal context. Activin-A also controls the differentiation and effector functions of Th cell subsets, including Th9 cells, TFH cells, Tr1 Treg cells and Foxp3+ Treg cells. Moreover, activin-A affects B cell responses, enhancing mucosal IgA secretion and inhibiting pathogenic autoantibody production. Interestingly, an array of preclinical and clinical studies has highlighted crucial functions of activin-A in the initiation, propagation and resolution of human diseases, including autoimmune diseases, such as, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, in allergic disorders, including allergic asthma and atopic dermatitis, in cancer and in microbial infections. Here, we provide an overview of the biology of activin-A and its signaling pathways, summarize recent studies pertinent to the role of activin-A in the modulation of inflammation and immunity, and discuss the potential of targeting activin-A as a novel therapeutic approach for the control of inflammatory diseases.
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Cui X, Shang S, Lv X, Zhao J, Qi Y, Liu Z. Perspectives of small molecule inhibitors of activin receptor‑like kinase in anti‑tumor treatment and stem cell differentiation (Review). Mol Med Rep 2019; 19:5053-5062. [PMID: 31059090 PMCID: PMC6522871 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2019.10209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Activin receptor‑like kinases (ALKs), members of the type I activin receptor family, belong to the serine/threonine kinase receptors of the transforming growth factor‑β (TGF‑β) superfamily. ALKs mediate the roles of activin/TGF‑β in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes, ranging from cell differentiation and proliferation to apoptosis. For example, the activities of ALKs are associated with an advanced tumor stage in prostate cancer and the chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, potent and selective small molecule inhibitors of ALKs would not only aid in investigating the function of activin/TGF‑β, but also in developing treatments for these diseases via the disruption of activin/TGF‑β. In recent studies, several ALK inhibitors, including LY‑2157299, SB‑431542 and A‑83‑01, have been identified and have been confirmed to affect stem cell differentiation and tumor progression in animal models. This review discusses the therapeutic perspective of small molecule inhibitors of ALKs as drug targets in tumor and stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueling Cui
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Shumi Shang
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Xinran Lv
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Department of Genetics, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Yan Qi
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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Lis A, Wiley M, Vaughan J, Gray PC, Blader IJ. The Activin Receptor, Activin-Like Kinase 4, Mediates Toxoplasma Gondii Activation of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:36. [PMID: 30891432 PMCID: PMC6411701 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
To grow and cause disease, intracellular pathogens modulate host cell processes. Identifying these processes as well as the mechanisms used by the pathogens to manipulate them is important for the development of more effective therapeutics. As an example, the intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii induces a wide variety of changes to its host cell, including altered membrane trafficking, cytoskeletal reorganization, and differential gene expression. Although several parasite molecules and their host targets have been identified that mediate- these changes, few are known to be required for parasite replication. One exception is the host cell transcription factor, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which is required for parasite replication in an oxygen-dependent manner. Toxoplasma activates HIF-1 by stabilizing the HIF-1α subunit, and this is dependent on the signaling from the Activin-Like Kinase (ALK) receptor superfamily. Here, we demonstrate that specific overexpression of the ALK family member, ALK4, increased HIF-1 activity in Toxoplasma-infected cells, and this increase required ALK4 kinase activity. Moreover, Toxoplasma stimulated ALK4 to dimerize with its co-receptor, ActRII, and also increased ALK4 kinase activity, thereby demonstrating that Toxoplasma activates the ALK4 receptor. ALK4 activation of HIF-1 was independent of canonical SMAD signaling but rather was dependent on the non-canonical Rho GTPase and JNK MAP kinase signaling pathways. Finally, Toxoplasma increased rates of ALK4 ubiquitination and turnover. These data provide the first evidence indicating that ALK4 signaling is a target for a microbial pathogen to manipulate its host cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Lis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
| | - Mandi Wiley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
| | | | | | - Ira J Blader
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States
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Activin A regulates activities of peripheral blood natural killer cells of mouse in an autocrine and paracrine manner. Exp Cell Res 2019; 374:114-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2018.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Bloise E, Ciarmela P, Dela Cruz C, Luisi S, Petraglia F, Reis FM. Activin A in Mammalian Physiology. Physiol Rev 2019; 99:739-780. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00002.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Activins are dimeric glycoproteins belonging to the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and resulting from the assembly of two beta subunits, which may also be combined with alpha subunits to form inhibins. Activins were discovered in 1986 following the isolation of inhibins from porcine follicular fluid, and were characterized as ovarian hormones that stimulate follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) release by the pituitary gland. In particular, activin A was shown to be the isoform of greater physiological importance in humans. The current understanding of activin A surpasses the reproductive system and allows its classification as a hormone, a growth factor, and a cytokine. In more than 30 yr of intense research, activin A was localized in female and male reproductive organs but also in other organs and systems as diverse as the brain, liver, lung, bone, and gut. Moreover, its roles include embryonic differentiation, trophoblast invasion of the uterine wall in early pregnancy, and fetal/neonate brain protection in hypoxic conditions. It is now recognized that activin A overexpression may be either cytostatic or mitogenic, depending on the cell type, with important implications for tumor biology. Activin A also regulates bone formation and regeneration, enhances joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis, and triggers pathogenic mechanisms in the respiratory system. In this 30-yr review, we analyze the evidence for physiological roles of activin A and the potential use of activin agonists and antagonists as therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrrico Bloise
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Pasquapina Ciarmela
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Cynthia Dela Cruz
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Stefano Luisi
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Felice Petraglia
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
| | - Fernando M. Reis
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinic, University of Siena, Siena, Italy; and Department of Biomedical, Experimental and Clinical Sciences, Division of Obstetrics and
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Qi Y, Ge J, Ma C, Wu N, Cui X, Liu Z. Activin A regulates activation of mouse neutrophils by Smad3 signalling. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.160342. [PMID: 28515224 PMCID: PMC5451541 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.160342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily, acts as a pro-inflammatory factor in acute phase response, and influences the pathological progress of neutrophil-mediated disease. However, whether activin A can exert an effect on the activities of neutrophils remains unclear. In this study, we found that the release of activin A was enhanced from neutrophils of mouse when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. Furthermore, neutrophils were not only the source of activin A but also the target cells in response to activin A, in which canonical activin signalling components existed, and levels of ACTRIIA, SMAD3 and p-SMAD3 proteins were elevated in activin A-treated neutrophils. Next, the role of activin A was determined in regulation of neutrophils activities. Our data revealed that activin A induced O2− release and reactive oxygen species production, promoted IL-6 release, and enhanced phagocytosis, but failed to attract neutrophils migrating across the trans-well membrane. Moreover, we found that effect of activin A on IL-6 release from the peritoneal neutrophils of mouse was significantly attenuated by in vivo Smad3 knockdown. In summary, these data demonstrate that activin A can exert an effect on neutrophils activation in an autocrine/paracrine manner through Smad3 signalling, suggesting that activin A is an important regulator of neutrophils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Qi
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunhui Ma
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Wu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueling Cui
- Key Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhonghui Liu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China .,Key Laboratory of Neuroimmunology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, People's Republic of China
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Antsiferova M, Piwko-Czuchra A, Cangkrama M, Wietecha M, Sahin D, Birkner K, Amann VC, Levesque M, Hohl D, Dummer R, Werner S. Activin promotes skin carcinogenesis by attraction and reprogramming of macrophages. EMBO Mol Med 2017; 9:27-45. [PMID: 27932444 PMCID: PMC5210090 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201606493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Activin has emerged as an important player in different types of cancer, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. We show here that activin overexpression is an early event in murine and human skin tumorigenesis. This is functionally important, since activin promoted skin tumorigenesis in mice induced by the human papillomavirus 8 oncogenes. This was accompanied by depletion of epidermal γδ T cells and accumulation of regulatory T cells. Most importantly, activin increased the number of skin macrophages via attraction of blood monocytes, which was prevented by depletion of CCR2‐positive monocytes. Gene expression profiling of macrophages from pre‐tumorigenic skin and bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that activin induces a gene expression pattern in skin macrophages that resembles the phenotype of tumor‐associated macrophages in different malignancies, thereby promoting angiogenesis, cell migration and proteolysis. The functional relevance of this finding was demonstrated by antibody‐mediated depletion of macrophages, which strongly suppressed activin‐induced skin tumor formation. These results demonstrate that activin induces skin carcinogenesis via attraction and reprogramming of macrophages and identify novel activin targets involved in tumor formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antsiferova
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Michael Cangkrama
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mateusz Wietecha
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dilara Sahin
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Birkner
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Valerie C Amann
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Daniel Hohl
- Department of Dermatology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Reinhard Dummer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Werner
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Postigo J, Iglesias M, Álvarez P, Jesús Augustin J, Buelta L, Merino J, Merino R. Bone Morphogenetic Protein and Activin Membrane-Bound Inhibitor, a Transforming Growth Factor β Rheostat That Controls Murine Treg Cell/Th17 Cell Differentiation and the Development of Autoimmune Arthritis by Reducing Interleukin-2 Signaling. Arthritis Rheumatol 2017; 68:1551-62. [PMID: 26714180 DOI: 10.1002/art.39557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) plays a prominent role in the establishment of immunologic tolerance, and mice lacking TGFβ1 die of multiorgan inflammation early in life. TGFβ controls the differentiation of CD4+ lymphocytes into Treg cells or proinflammatory Th17 cells. Although this dual capacity is modulated by the presence of additional cytokines around the activated cells, TGFβ also dissociates Th17/Treg cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner by mechanisms still unknown. The purpose of this study was to explore the contribution of bone morphogenetic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor (BAMBI) to the modulation of TGFβ activity during the differentiation of CD4+ cells and in the control of immunologic tolerance in mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). METHODS The in vitro and in vivo Treg cell and Th17 cell differentiation and the development of CIA were compared in wild-type mice and BAMBI-deficient mice. RESULTS BAMBI was induced after activation by TGFβ and fixed the appropriate intensity level of TGFβ signaling in CD4+ cells. Its deficiency protected mice against the development of CIA by a Treg cell- and TGFβ-dependent mechanism. Mechanistically, BAMBI was found to regulate CD25 expression and interleukin-2 (IL-2) signaling in Treg cells and in IL-2- and/or TGFβ-activated CD4+ cells and modulated Treg cell and Th17 cell differentiation both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION Taken together, the results indicate that BAMBI is a component of a rheostat-like mechanism that, through the control of TGFβ and IL-2 signaling strength, regulates the differentiation of CD4+ lymphocytes and the development of autoimmune arthritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Postigo
- Jorge Postigo, PhD, Marcos Iglesias, PhD, Luis Buelta, MD, PhD, Jesús Merino, MD: IDIVAL and Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Marcos Iglesias
- Jorge Postigo, PhD, Marcos Iglesias, PhD, Luis Buelta, MD, PhD, Jesús Merino, MD: IDIVAL and Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Pilar Álvarez
- IDIVAL and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, CSIC, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Juan Jesús Augustin
- IDIVAL and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, CSIC, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Luis Buelta
- Jorge Postigo, PhD, Marcos Iglesias, PhD, Luis Buelta, MD, PhD, Jesús Merino, MD: IDIVAL and Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Jesús Merino
- Jorge Postigo, PhD, Marcos Iglesias, PhD, Luis Buelta, MD, PhD, Jesús Merino, MD: IDIVAL and Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Ramón Merino
- IDIVAL and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria, CSIC, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
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Pickup MW, Owens P, Moses HL. TGF-β, Bone Morphogenetic Protein, and Activin Signaling and the Tumor Microenvironment. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2017; 9:cshperspect.a022285. [PMID: 28062564 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a022285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cellular and noncellular components surrounding the tumor cells influence many aspects of tumor progression. Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), and activins have been shown to regulate the phenotype and functions of the microenvironment and are attractive targets to attenuate protumorigenic microenvironmental changes. Given the pleiotropic nature of the cytokines involved, a full understanding of their effects on numerous cell types in many contexts is necessary for proper clinical intervention. In this review, we will explore the various effects of TGF-β, BMP, and activin signaling on stromal phenotypes known to associate with cancer progression. We will summarize these findings in the context of their tumor suppressive or promoting effects, as well as the molecular changes that these cytokines induce to influence stromal phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Pickup
- Department of Cancer Biology and Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Philip Owens
- Department of Cancer Biology and Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Harold L Moses
- Department of Cancer Biology and Vanderbilt-Ingram Comprehensive Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
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Zhang Y, Jin LP. Effects of TSLP on obstetrical and gynecological diseases. Am J Reprod Immunol 2016; 77. [PMID: 27976427 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology; Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Fudan University Shanghai Medical College; Shanghai China
| | - Li-Ping Jin
- Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology; Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Fudan University Shanghai Medical College; Shanghai China
- Clinical and Translational Research Center; Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital; Tongji University School of Medicine; Shanghai China
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Activin A programs the differentiation of human TFH cells. Nat Immunol 2016; 17:976-84. [PMID: 27376469 PMCID: PMC4955732 DOI: 10.1038/ni.3494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Follicular helper T (TFH) cells are CD4+ T cells specialized in helping B cells and are associated both with protective antibody responses and autoimmune diseases. The promise of targeting TFH cells therapeutically has been limited by fragmentary understanding of extrinsic signals regulating human TFH cell differentiation. A screen of a human protein library identified activin A as new regulator of TFH cell differentiation. Activin A orchestrated expression of multiple TFH-associated genes, independently or in concert with additional signals. TFH programming by activin A was antagonized by the cytokine IL-2. Activin A’s capacity to drive TFH cell differentiation in vitro was conserved for non-human primates but not mice. Finally, activin A-induced TFH programming was dependent on SMAD2 and SMAD3 signaling and blocked by pharmacological inhibitors.
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Namwanje M, Brown CW. Activins and Inhibins: Roles in Development, Physiology, and Disease. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2016; 8:cshperspect.a021881. [PMID: 27328872 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a021881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Since their original discovery as regulators of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and erythropoiesis, the TGF-β family members activin and inhibin have been shown to participate in a variety of biological processes, from the earliest stages of embryonic development to highly specialized functions in terminally differentiated cells and tissues. Herein, we present the history, structures, signaling mechanisms, regulation, and biological processes in which activins and inhibins participate, including several recently discovered biological activities and functional antagonists. The potential therapeutic relevance of these advances is also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Namwanje
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Chester W Brown
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030 Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
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Shurin MR, Ma Y, Keskinov AA, Zhao R, Lokshin A, Agassandian M, Shurin GV. BAFF and APRIL from Activin A-Treated Dendritic Cells Upregulate the Antitumor Efficacy of Dendritic Cells In Vivo. Cancer Res 2016; 76:4959-69. [PMID: 27364554 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-2668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The members of the TGFβ superfamily play a key role in regulating developmental and homeostasis programs by controlling differentiation, proliferation, polarization, and survival of different cell types. Although the role of TGFβ1 in inflammation and immunity is well evident, the contribution of other TGFβ family cytokines in the modulation of the antitumor immune response remains less documented. Here we show that activin A triggers SMAD2 and ERK1/2 pathways in dendritic cells (DC) expressing type I and II activin receptors, and upregulates production of the TNFα family cytokines BAFF (TALL-1, TNFSF13B) and APRIL (TALL-2, TNFSF13A), which is blocked by SMAD2 and ERK1/2 inhibitors, respectively. BAFF and APRIL derived from activin A-treated DCs upregulate proliferation and survival of T cells expressing the corresponding receptors, BAFF-R and TACI. In vivo, activin A-stimulated DCs demonstrate a significantly increased ability to induce tumor-specific CTLs and inhibit the growth of melanoma and lung carcinoma, which relies on DC-derived BAFF and APRIL, as knockdown of the BAFF and APRIL gene expression in activin A-treated DCs blocks augmentation of their antitumor potential. Although systemic administration of activin A, BAFF, or APRIL for the therapeutic purposes is not likely due to the pluripotent effects on malignant and nonmalignant cells, our data open a novel opportunity for improving the efficacy of DC vaccines. In fact, a significant augmentation of the antitumor activity of DC pretreated with activin A and the proven role of DC-derived BAFF and APRIL in the induction of antitumor immunity in vivo support this direction. Cancer Res; 76(17); 4959-69. ©2016 AACR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Yang Ma
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Anton A Keskinov
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ruijing Zhao
- Department of Immunology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Anna Lokshin
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Marianna Agassandian
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Galina V Shurin
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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Human eosinophil activin A synthesis and mRNA stabilization are induced by the combination of IL-3 plus TNF. Immunol Cell Biol 2016; 94:701-8. [PMID: 27001469 PMCID: PMC4980187 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2016.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Eosinophils contribute to immune regulation and wound healing/fibrosis in various diseases including asthma. Growing appreciation for the role of activin A in such processes led us to hypothesize that eosinophils are a source of this TGF-β superfamily member. TNFα (TNF) induces activin A by other cell types and is often present at the site of allergic inflammation along with the eosinophil activating common β (βc) chain-signaling cytokines (IL-5, IL-3, GM-CSF). Previously, we established that the combination of TNF plus a βc chain-signaling cytokine synergistically induces eosinophil synthesis of the remodeling enzyme MMP-9. Therefore, eosinophils were stimulated ex vivo by these cytokines and in vivo through an allergen-induced airway inflammatory response. In contrast to IL-5+TNF or GM-CSF+TNF, the combination of IL-3+TNF synergistically induced activin A synthesis and release by human blood eosinophils. IL-3+TNF enhanced activin A mRNA stability, which required sustained signaling of pathways downstream of p38 and ERK MAP kinases. In vivo, following segmental airway allergen challenge of subjects with mild allergic asthma, activin A mRNA was upregulated in airway eosinophils compared to circulating eosinophils, and ex vivo, circulating eosinophils tended to release activin A in response to IL-3+TNF. These data provide evidence that eosinophils release activin A and that this function is enhanced when eosinophils are present in an allergen-induced inflammatory environment. Moreover, these data provide the first evidence for post-transcriptional control of activin A mRNA. We propose that, an environment rich in IL-3+TNF will lead to eosinophil–derived activin A, which plays an important role in regulating inflammation and/or fibrosis.
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Haas SJP, Zhou X, Machado V, Wree A, Krieglstein K, Spittau B. Expression of Tgfβ1 and Inflammatory Markers in the 6-hydroxydopamine Mouse Model of Parkinson's Disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:7. [PMID: 26869879 PMCID: PMC4737885 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 01/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is characterized by loss of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons in the substantia nigra (SN). Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation has been described as a common hallmark of PD and is believed to further trigger the progression of neurodegenerative events. Injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) are widely used to induce degeneration of mDA neurons in rodents as an attempt to mimic PD and to study neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation as well as potential therapeutic approaches. In the present study, we addressed microglia and astroglia reactivity in the SN and the caudatoputamen (CPu) after 6-OHDA injections into the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), and further analyzed the temporal and spatial expression patterns of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory markers in this mouse model of PD. We provide evidence that activated microglia as well as neurons in the lesioned SN and CPu express Transforming growth factor β1 (Tgfβ1), which overlaps with the downregulation of pro-inflammatory markers Tnfα, and iNos, and upregulation of anti-inflammatory markers Ym1 and Arg1. Taken together, the data presented in this study suggest an important role for Tgfβ1 as a lesion-associated factor that might be involved in regulating microglia activation states in the 6-OHDA mouse model of PD in order to prevent degeneration of uninjured neurons by microglia-mediated release of neurotoxic factors such as Tnfα and nitric oxide (NO).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaolai Zhou
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityFreiburg, Germany; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY, USA
| | - Venissa Machado
- Department of Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityFreiburg, Germany; Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityFreiburg, Germany; Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs-UniversityFreiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Wree
- Institute of Anatomy, Rostock University Medical Center Rostock, Germany
| | - Kerstin Krieglstein
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany
| | - Björn Spittau
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany
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Sharkey DJ, Schjenken JE, Mottershead DG, Robertson SA. Seminal fluid factors regulate activin A and follistatin synthesis in female cervical epithelial cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2015; 417:178-90. [PMID: 26415587 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Seminal fluid induces pro-inflammatory cytokines and elicits an inflammation-like response in the cervix. Here, Affymetrix microarray and qPCR was utilised to identify activin A (INHBA) and its inhibitor follistatin (FST) amongst the cytokines induced by seminal plasma in Ect1 ectocervical epithelial cells, and a similar response was confirmed in primary ectocervical epithelial cells. TGFB is abundant in seminal plasma and all three TGFB isoforms induced INHBA in Ect1 and primary cells, and neutralisation of TGFB in seminal plasma suppressed the INHBA response. Bacterial lipopolysaccharide in seminal plasma also elicited INHBA, but potently suppressed FST production. There was moderate reciprocal inhibition between FST and INHBA, and cross-attenuating effects were seen. These data identify TGFB and potentially LPS as factors mediating seminal plasma-induced INHBA synthesis in cervical cells. INHBA and FST induced by seminal fluid in cervical tissues may thus contribute to regulation of the post-coital response in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Sharkey
- Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - John E Schjenken
- Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - David G Mottershead
- Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Sarah A Robertson
- Robinson Research Institute and School of Paediatrics and Reproductive Health, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Stanojević S, Kovačević-Jovanović V, Dimitrijević M, Vujić V, Ćuruvija I, Blagojević V, Leposavić G. Unopposed Estrogen Supplementation/Progesterone Deficiency in Post-Reproductive Age Affects the Secretory Profile of Resident Macrophages in a Tissue-Specific Manner in the Rat. Am J Reprod Immunol 2015; 74:445-56. [PMID: 26307150 DOI: 10.1111/aji.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 08/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
PROBLEM The influence of unopposed estrogen replacement/isolated progesterone deficiency on macrophage production of pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory mediators in the post-reproductive age was studied. METHOD OF STUDY Considering that in the rats post-ovariectomy the circulating estradiol, but not progesterone level rises to the values in sham-operated controls, 20-month-old rats ovariectomized at the age of 10 months served as an experimental model. Estrogen and progesterone receptor expression, secretion of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and arginine metabolism end-products were examined in splenic and peritoneal macrophages under basal conditions and following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in vitro. RESULTS Almost all peritoneal and a subset of splenic macrophages expressed the intracellular progesterone receptor. Ovariectomy diminished cytokine production by splenic (IL-1β) and peritoneal (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-10) macrophages and increased the production of IL-10 by splenic and TGF-β by peritoneal cells under basal conditions. Following LPS stimulation, splenic macrophages from ovariectomized rats produced less TNF-α and more IL-10, whereas peritoneal macrophages produced less IL-1β and TGF-β than the corresponding cells from sham-operated rats. Ovariectomy diminished urea production in both subpopulations of LPS-stimulated macrophages. CONCLUSION Although long-lasting isolated progesterone deficiency in the post-reproductive age differentially affects cytokine production in the macrophages from distinct tissue compartments, in both subpopulations, it impairs the pro-inflammatory/anti-inflammatory cytokine secretory balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanislava Stanojević
- Immunology Research Centre 'Branislav Janković', Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera 'Torlak', Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vesna Kovačević-Jovanović
- Immunology Research Centre 'Branislav Janković', Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera 'Torlak', Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirjana Dimitrijević
- Immunology Research Centre 'Branislav Janković', Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera 'Torlak', Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vesna Vujić
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Ćuruvija
- Immunology Research Centre 'Branislav Janković', Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera 'Torlak', Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Veljko Blagojević
- Immunology Research Centre 'Branislav Janković', Institute of Virology, Vaccines and Sera 'Torlak', Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gordana Leposavić
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Lim R, Muljadi R, Koulaeva E, Vosdoganes P, Chan ST, Acharya R, Gurusinghe S, Ritvos O, Pasternack A, Wallace EM. Activin A contributes to the development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice. Pediatr Res 2015; 77:749-56. [PMID: 25760549 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2015.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in babies born prematurely, yet there is no curative treatment. In recent years, a number of inhibitors against TGFβ signaling have been tested for their potential to prevent neonatal injury associated with hyperoxia, which is a contributing factor of BPD. In this study, we assessed the contribution of activin A-a member of the TGFβ superfamily-to the development of hyperoxia-induced lung injury in neonatal mice. METHODS We placed newborn C57Bl6 mouse pups in continuous hyperoxia (85% O2) to mimic many aspects of BPD including alveolar simplification and pulmonary inflammation. The pups were administered activin A receptor type IIB-Fc antagonist (ActRIIB-Fc) at 5 mg/kg or follistatin at 0.1 mg/kg on postnatal days 4, 7, 10, and 13. RESULTS Treatment with ActRIIB-Fc and follistatin protected against hyperoxia-induced growth retardation. ActRIIB-Fc also reduced pulmonary leukocyte infiltration, normalized tissue: airspace ratio and increased septal crest density. These findings were associated with reduced phosphorylation of Smad3 and decreased matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 activity. CONCLUSION This study suggests that activin A signaling may contribute to the pathology of bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Lim
- 1] The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia [2] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ruth Muljadi
- The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eugenia Koulaeva
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patricia Vosdoganes
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Siow Teng Chan
- The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rutu Acharya
- The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia
| | - Seshini Gurusinghe
- The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia
| | - Olli Ritvos
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arja Pasternack
- Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Euan M Wallace
- 1] The Ritchie Centre, MIMR-PHI Institute of Medical Research, Victoria, Australia [2] Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
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Blanco FJ, Ojeda-Fernandez L, Aristorena M, Gallardo-Vara E, Benguria A, Dopazo A, Langa C, Botella LM, Bernabeu C. Genome-wide transcriptional and functional analysis of endoglin isoforms in the human promonocytic cell line U937. J Cell Physiol 2015; 230:947-58. [PMID: 25216259 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.24827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Endoglin is an auxiliary cell surface receptor for TGF-β family members. Two different alternatively spliced isoforms, long (L)-endoglin and short (S)-endoglin, have been reported. S-endoglin and L-endoglin proteins vary from each other in their cytoplasmic tails that contain 14 and 47 amino acids, respectively. A critical role for endoglin in vascular development has primarily been studied in endothelial cells. In addition, endoglin expression is upregulated during monocyte-to-macrophage differentiation; however, little is known about its role in this myeloid context. To investigate the function of endoglin in monocytes, stable transfectants expressing the two endoglin isoforms in the promonocytic human cell line U937 were generated. The differential gene expression fingerprinting of these endoglin transfectants using DNA microarrays and further bioinformatics analysis showed a clear alteration in essential biological functions, mainly those related to "Cellular Movement", including cell adhesion and transmigration. Interestingly, these cellular functions are highly dependent on adhesion molecules, including integrins α1 (CD49a, ITGA1 gene), αL (CD11a, ITGAL gene), αM (CD11b, ITGAM gene) and β2 (CD18, ITGB2 gene) and the chemokine receptor CCR2 (CD192, CCR2 gene), which are downregulated in endoglin transfectants. Moreover, activin A (INHBA gene), a TGF-β superfamily member involved in macrophage polarization, was distinctly affected in each endoglin transfectant, and may contribute to the regulated expression of integrins. These data were confirmed by quantitative PCR, flow cytometry and functional tests. Taken together, these results provide new insight into endoglin function in monocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J Blanco
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Centro de Investigaciones Biologicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
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Refaat B, Ashshi AM, El-Shemi AG, Azhar E. Activins and Follistatin in Chronic Hepatitis C and Its Treatment with Pegylated-Interferon-α Based Therapy. Mediators Inflamm 2015; 2015:287640. [PMID: 25969625 PMCID: PMC4417604 DOI: 10.1155/2015/287640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2015] [Revised: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 02/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Pegylated-interferon-α based therapy for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is considered suboptimal as not all patients respond to the treatment and it is associated with several side effects that could lead to dose reduction and/or termination of therapy. The currently used markers to monitor the response to treatment are based on viral kinetics and their performance in the prediction of treatment outcome is moderate and does not combine accuracy and their values have several limitations. Hence, the development of new sensitive and specific predictor markers could provide a useful tool for the clinicians and healthcare providers, especially in the new era of interferon-free therapy, for the classification of patients according to their response to the standard therapy and only subscribing the novel directly acting antiviral drugs to those who are anticipated not to respond to the conventional therapy and/or have absolute contraindications for its use. The importance of activins and follistatin in the regulation of immune system, liver biology, and pathology has recently emerged. This review appraises the up-to-date knowledge regarding the role of activins and follistatin in liver biology and immune system and their role in the pathophysiology of CHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bassem Refaat
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Al-'Abdiyah Campus, P. O. Box 7607, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Mohamed Ashshi
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Al-'Abdiyah Campus, P. O. Box 7607, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Adel Galal El-Shemi
- Laboratory Medicine Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Al-'Abdiyah Campus, P. O. Box 7607, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 6515, Egypt
| | - Esam Azhar
- Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80216, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
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