RhoA-Dependent HGF and c-Met Mediate Gas6-Induced Inhibition of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Migration, and Invasion of Lung Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Functional Au nanoparticles for engineering and long-term CT imaging tracking of mesenchymal stem cells in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis treatment

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) therapy has always been a big and long-standing challenge in clinical practice due to the lack of miraculous medicine. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-based therapy has recently emerged as a promising candidate for redefining IPF therapy. Enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs and understanding of their growth, migration and differentiation in harsh lung microenviroments are two keys to improving the stem cell-based IPF treatment. Herein, a non-viral dual-functional nanocarrier is fabricated by a one-pot approach, using protamine sulfate stabilized Au nanoparticles (AuPS), to genetically engineer MSCs for simultaneous IPF treatment and monitoring the biological behavior of the MSCs. AuPS exhibits superior cellular uptake ability, which results in efficient genetic engineering of MSCs to overexpress hepatocyte growth factor for enhanced IPF therapy. In parallel, the intracellular accumulation of AuPS improves the CT imaging contrast of MSCs, allowing visual tracking of the therapeutic engineered MSCs up to 48 days. Overall, this work has described for the first time a novel strategy for enhanced therapeutic efficacy and long-term CT imaging tracking of transplanted MSCs in IPF therapy, providing great prospect for stem cell therapy of lung disease.

Rho-Kinase as a Target for Cancer Therapy and Its Immunotherapeutic Potential

Cancer immunotherapy is fast rising as a prominent new pillar of cancer treatment, harnessing the immune system to fight against numerous types of cancer. Rho-kinase (ROCK) pathway is involved in diverse cellular activities, and is therefore the target of interest in various diseases at the cellular level including cancer. Indeed, ROCK is well-known for its involvement in the tumor cell and tumor microenvironment, especially in its ability to enhance tumor cell progression, migration, metastasis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Importantly, ROCK is also considered to be a novel and effective modulator of immune cells, although further studies are needed. In this review article, we describe the various activities of ROCK and its potential to be utilized in cancer treatment, particularly in cancer immunotherapy, by shining a light on its activities in the immune system.

Single-cell transcriptomics of murine mural cells reveals cellular heterogeneity

Mural cells (MCs) wrap around the endothelium, and participate in the development and homeostasis of vasculature. MCs have been reported as heterogeneous population morphologically and functionally. However, the transcriptional heterogeneity of MCs was rarely studied. In this study, we illustrated the transcriptional heterogeneity of MCs with different perspectives by using publicly available single-cell dataset GSE109774. Specifically, MCs are transcriptionally different from other cell types, and ligand-receptor interactions of different cells with MCs vary. Re-clustering of MCs identified five distinct subclusters. The heterogeneity of MCs in tissues was reflected by MC coverage, various distribution of MC subclusters, and ligand-receptor interactions of MCs and parenchymal cells. The transcriptomic diversity of MCs revealed in this article will help facilitate further research into MCs.