Dual-Specificity Phosphatases in Regulation of Tumor-Associated Macrophage Activity

The regulation of protein kinases by dephosphorylation is a key mechanism that defines the activity of immune cells. A balanced process of the phosphorylation/dephosphorylation of key protein kinases by dual-specificity phosphatases is required for the realization of the antitumor immune response. The family of dual-specificity phosphatases is represented by several isoforms found in both resting and activated macrophages. The main substrate of dual-specificity phosphatases are three components of mitogen-activated kinase signaling cascades: the extracellular signal-regulated kinase ERK1/2, p38, and Janus kinase family. The results of the study of model tumor-associated macrophages supported the assumption of the crucial role of dual-specificity phosphatases in the formation and determination of the outcome of the immune response against tumor cells through the selective suppression of mitogen-activated kinase signaling cascades. Since mitogen-activated kinases mostly activate the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and the antitumor function of macrophages, the excess activity of dual-specificity phosphatases suppresses the ability of tumor-associated macrophages to activate the antitumor immune response. Nowadays, the fundamental research in tumor immunology is focused on the search for novel molecular targets to activate the antitumor immune response. However, to date, dual-specificity phosphatases received limited discussion as key targets of the immune system to activate the antitumor immune response. This review discusses the importance of dual-specificity phosphatases as key regulators of the tumor-associated macrophage function.

Peculiarities of amino acid profile in monocytes in breast cancer

Monocytes are large circulating white blood cells that are the main precursors of tissue macrophages as well as tumor-associated macrophages in the adult body. Different types of monocytes have multidirectional effects on the growth and metastatic spread of cancer cells, both activating and inhibiting these processes. Tumor progression is associated with the triggering of a whole cascade of inflammatory and immune reactions. These pathological processes are associated with changes in the amino acid content of monocytes, which can lead to disruption of their function, in particular their migration, division and maturation. The aim of the work was to profile the amino acids of monocytes, followed by a study of the amino acid composition of monocytes from patients with breast cancer using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Significant differences in metabolite levels in monocytes of breast cancer patients and monocytes of healthy donors were found for glycine (p-value = 0.0127), asparagine (p-value = 0.0197), proline (p-value = 0.0159), methionine (p-value = 0.0357), tryptophan (p-value = 0.0028), tyrosine (p-value = 0.0127). In the study, we identified biological networks that could potentially be involved in altering the phenotype of monocytes affected by breast cancer (BC), using bioinformatic analysis of metabolic pathways involving the discovered amino acids. Mathematical models based on amino acid combinations with 100% sensitivity and specificity have been developed. Features of immune system cell metabolism in BC have been identified and potential diagnostic biomarkers have been proposed.

Methodology of determining the metabolomic profile of tumor-associated macrophages and monocytes in oncological diseases

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute the primary component of innate immunity in breast cancer tissue. During the development of new approaches for breast cancer treatment aimed at editing the epigenome of TAM, precise methods for the analysis of macrophage metabolome are required to examine the effect on new approaches on macrophage metabolism. Our study aimed to develop an HPLC-MS/MS-based analytical approach to characterize the metabolome of human innate immune cells (TAMs and their precursors, monocytes). Analysis of lipid extracts was conducted on a Dionex UltiMate 3000 liquid chromatograph connected to a Maxis Impact qTOF mass analyzer with an ESI ion source. Quantitative analysis of 38 amino acids in the cells was conducted using the Jasem Amino Acids LC-MS/MS Analysis Kit and an HPLC-MS/MS chromatographic system consisting out of an Agilent 6460 triple quadrupole mass spectrometric detector (Agilent), and an Agilent 1260 II liquid chromatograph (Agilent ) with Amino acids-HPLC Column (Jasem). The modified Folch method with double extraction was found to be the optimal approached for the sample preparation, since it enables to simultaneously isolate the lipid extract and water-soluble substances, in particular, amino acids. The method of reversed-phase chromatography yielded more useful data on the cell lipid composition than the method of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC). The minimum number of cells required to determine the metabolome of immune system cells (TAM and monocytes) was identified as 2 × 106. Thus, we have developed the approach to determine the lipid and amino acid composition of modelled human TAMs and primary monocytes isolated out of breast cancer patients using minimal amount of clinical material.

Association macrophage subpopulation with cardiac biomarkers in patients with acute decompensated ischemic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

Objective

To determine the association macrophage subpopulation with cardiac biomarkers (interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), troponin I, interferon gamma (IFN-γ), plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and N-terminal fragment of precursor protein brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), soluble interleukin 1 receptor-like 1 (ST2)) in patients with acute decompensated ischemic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods

This open-label, nonrandomized, single-center, prospective trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (#NCT02649517) and included 25 patients (84% men, LVEF of 29.17±9.4%) with ADHF. Inclusion criteria were ADHF, not earlier than 6 months after optimal surgery (PCI or/and CABG) and optimal drug treatment for ADHF according to ESC guidelines. Invasive coronary angiography was performed in all patients to exclude the progression of coronary atherosclerosis. All patients underwent endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) with immunohistochemically analysis for diagnostic myocarditis. Macrophage infiltration in the heart was assessed by double immunofluorescence. CD68 was a marker for the cells of the macrophage lineage, CD80 was considered as M1-like macrophage and CD163, CD206, stabilin-1 were as M2-like macrophage biomarkers. Each area was evaluated in 5 random fields. On admission serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, hsCRP, TNF-α, troponin I, IFN-γ, ST2, BNP, and NT-proBNP were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The double immunofluorescence has not been performed in 4 patients.

Results

An association was found between CD68+/CD80+ macrophages and level of TNF-α (r=0.512, p=0.042) in all patient. After EMB, all patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised 16 patients (64%) with myocarditis; group 2 comprised 9 patients (36%) without myocarditis. In group 1 the association was found between CD68+/CD80+ macrophages and the level of troponin I (r=0.874, p=0.05). Besides, the association was revealed CD68-/CD206+ macrophages with the level of hsCRP (r= - 0.755, p=0.03), and CD163-/CD206+ macrophages with the level of IL-6 (r=0.843, p=0,009) in group 1. CD68-/stabilin-1 macrophages were in direct correlation with level of NT-proBNP (r=0.790, p=0.02) and in inverse correlation with level of troponin I (r= - 0.711, p=0.05) in group 1. In group 2 the association was found between CD68-/CD206+ macrophages and the level of ST2 (r=0.0.537, p=0.037).

Conclusion

Our data suggest that many associations identified between M1-like macrophages (CD 68+/CD 80+), M2-like macrophages (CD68-/CD206+, CD163-/CD206+) and markers of inflammation (hsCRP, IL-6) and myocardial damage (NT-proBNP, troponin I) in patients with myocarditis. Whereas in patients without myocarditis, only the association of M2-like macrophages (CD68-/CD206+) with the ST2 level was revealed, probably due to the continuing unfavorable remodeling of the heart.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Modification of PCL Scaffolds by Reactive Magnetron Sputtering: A Possibility for Modulating Macrophage Responses

Direct current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering is as an efficient method for enhancing the biocompatibility of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds. However, the PCL chemical bonding state, the composition of the deposited coating, and their interaction with immune cells remain unknown. Herein, we demonstrated that the DC reactive magnetron sputtering of the titanium target in a nitrogen atmosphere leads to the formation of nitrogen-containing moieties and the titanium dioxide coating on the scaffold surface. We have provided the possible mechanism of PCL fragmentation and coating formation supported by XPS results and DFT calculations. Our preliminary biological studies suggest that DC reactive magnetron sputtering of the titanium target could be an effective tool to control macrophage functional responses toward PCL scaffolds as it allows to inhibit respiratory burst while retaining cell viability and scavenging activity.

Smoking-related DNA adducts as potential diagnostic markers of lung cancer: new perspectives

In recent years, the new direction such as identification of informative circulating markers reflecting molecular genetic changes in the DNA of tumor cells was actively developed. Smoking-related DNA adducts are very promising research area, since they indicate high pathogenetic importance in the lung carcinogenesis and can be identified in biological samples with high accuracy and reliability using highly sensitive mass spectrometry methods (TOF/TOF, TOF/MS, MS/MS). The appearance of DNA adducts in blood or tissues is the result of the interaction of carcinogenic factors, such as tobacco constituents, and the body reaction which is determined by individual characteristics of metabolic and repair systems. So, DNA adducts may be considered as a cumulative mirror of heterogeneous response of different individuals to smoking carcinogens, which finally could determine the risk for lung cancer. This review is devoted to analysis of the role of DNA adducts in lung carcinogenesis in order to demonstrate their usefulness as cancer associated markers. Currently, there are some serious limitations impeding the widespread use of DNA adducts as cancer biomarkers, due to failure of standardization of mass spectrometry analysis in order to correctly measure the adduct level in each individual. However, it is known that all DNA adducts are immunogenic, their accumulation over some threshold concentration leads to the appearance of long-living autoantibodies. Thus, detection of an informative pattern of autoantibodies against DNA adducts using innovative multiplex ELISA immunoassay may be a promising approach to find lung cancer at an early stage in high-risk groups (smokers, manufacturing workers, urban dwellers).

Type D retrovirus specific sequences in lymphocytes of the children with Burkitt-type lymphoma and their parents

Type D retroviruses cause immunodeficiency in monkey. Earlier we have revealed genetical and serological markers of type D retroviruses in children with Burkitt-type lymphoma. Using PCR/Southern blotting assay we have found sequences related to MPMV in PBMC's DNA from children with Burkitt-type lymphoma and from their parents. Moreover, the data on sequencing of virus specific sequences from one ill child and from his mother have been presented.

Markers of type D retroviruses in children with Burkitt's-type lymphoma

Antibodies to gag-coded proteins of type D retroviruses have been detected in children with lymphadenopathy [1]. We tested 41 HIV noninfected children with lymphoproliferative diseases (27 cases of Burkitt's-type lymphoma, six cases of Hodgkin's disease, four cases of T-cell lymphoma, three cases of lymphoblastic lymphoma and one case of large-cell anaplastic lymphoma) for the presence of type D retroviral serological and genetical markers. Twenty-five healthy donors were tested as a control. DNA samples from peripheral blood lymphocytes were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blotting for the presence of type D retroviral related sequences. MPMV pro-pol specific sequences have been detected in 18 out of 27 children with Burkitt's-type lymphoma. By means of Western blotting, six patients positive in PCR/Southern blotting analysis were also found to contain Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) specific antibodies, in their sera. All children with other lymphoproliferative diseases as well as healthy donors were negative in PCR/Southern blotting and Western blotting analysis. These data suggest the possible association of type D retroviral markers with Burkitt's-type lymphoma of children.