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Ramini D, Giuliani A, Kwiatkowska KM, Guescini M, Storci G, Mensà E, Recchioni R, Xumerle L, Zago E, Sabbatinelli J, Santi S, Garagnani P, Bonafè M, Olivieri F. Replicative senescence and high glucose induce the accrual of self-derived cytosolic nucleic acids in human endothelial cells. Cell Death Discov 2024; 10:184. [PMID: 38643201 PMCID: PMC11032409 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-024-01954-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent literature shows that loss of replicative ability and acquisition of a proinflammatory secretory phenotype in senescent cells is coupled with the build-in of nucleic acids in the cytoplasm. Its implication in human age-related diseases is under scrutiny. In human endothelial cells (ECs), we assessed the accumulation of intracellular nucleic acids during in vitro replicative senescence and after exposure to high glucose concentrations, which mimic an in vivo condition of hyperglycemia. We showed that exposure to high glucose induces senescent-like features in ECs, including telomere shortening and proinflammatory cytokine release, coupled with the accrual in the cytoplasm of telomeres, double-stranded DNA and RNA (dsDNA, dsRNA), as well as RNA:DNA hybrid molecules. Senescent ECs showed an activation of the dsRNA sensors RIG-I and MDA5 and of the DNA sensor TLR9, which was not paralleled by the involvement of the canonical (cGAS) and non-canonical (IFI16) activation of the STING pathway. Under high glucose conditions, only a sustained activation of TLR9 was observed. Notably, senescent cells exhibit increased proinflammatory cytokine (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8) production without a detectable secretion of type I interferon (IFN), a phenomenon that can be explained, at least in part, by the accumulation of methyl-adenosine containing RNAs. At variance, exposure to exogenous nucleic acids enhances both IL-6 and IFN-β1 expression in senescent cells. This study highlights the accrual of cytoplasmic nucleic acids as a marker of senescence-related endothelial dysfunction, that may play a role in dysmetabolic age-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Ramini
- Clinic of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | - Angelica Giuliani
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | | | - Michele Guescini
- Department of Biomolecular Science, University of Urbino Carlo Bo, Urbino, Italy
| | - Gianluca Storci
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Emanuela Mensà
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Rina Recchioni
- Clinic of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
| | | | | | - Jacopo Sabbatinelli
- Clinic of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy.
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Spartaco Santi
- CNR Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza" - Unit of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Paolo Garagnani
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bonafè
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences (DIMEC), University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabiola Olivieri
- Clinic of Laboratory and Precision Medicine, IRCCS INRCA, Ancona, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, DISCLIMO, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy
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2
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Alfano L, Iannuzzi CA, Barone D, Forte IM, Ragosta MC, Cuomo M, Mazzarotti G, Dell'Aquila M, Altieri A, Caporaso A, Roma C, Marra L, Boffo S, Indovina P, De Laurentiis M, Giordano A. CDK9-55 guides the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) in choosing the DNA repair pathway choice. Oncogene 2024; 43:1263-1273. [PMID: 38433256 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-02982-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) contribute to genome instability, a key feature of cancer. DSBs are mainly repaired by homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ). We investigated the role of an isoform of the multifunctional cyclin-dependent kinase 9, CDK9-55, in DNA repair, by generating CDK9-55-knockout HeLa clones (through CRISPR-Cas9), which showed potential HR dysfunction. A phosphoproteomic screening in these clones treated with camptothecin revealed that CDC23 (cell division cycle 23), a component of the E3-ubiquitin ligase APC/C (anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome), is a new substrate of CDK9-55, with S588 being its putative phosphorylation site. Mutated non-phosphorylatable CDC23(S588A) affected the repair pathway choice by impairing HR and favouring error-prone NHEJ. This CDK9 role should be considered when designing CDK-inhibitor-based cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Alfano
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy.
| | - Carmelina Antonella Iannuzzi
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Daniela Barone
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Iris Maria Forte
- Breast Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | | | - Maria Cuomo
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giulio Mazzarotti
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Milena Dell'Aquila
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Angela Altieri
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Antonella Caporaso
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cristin Roma
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Laura Marra
- Cell Biology and Biotherapy Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Silvia Boffo
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paola Indovina
- Sbarro Research Health Organization, Candiolo, Torino, Italy
| | - Michelino De Laurentiis
- Breast Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori-Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)-Fondazione G. Pascale, Napoli, Italy
| | - Antonio Giordano
- Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
- Sbarro Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biotechnology, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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3
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Bruno T, Catena V, Corleone G, Cortile C, Cappelletto MC, Bellei B, De Nicola F, Amadio B, Gumenyuk S, Marchesi F, Annibali O, Blandino G, Fanciulli M, Di Agostino S. Che-1/miR-590-3p/TAZ axis sustains multiple myeloma disease. Leukemia 2024; 38:877-882. [PMID: 38368441 PMCID: PMC10997508 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02168-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Tiziana Bruno
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Catena
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Giacomo Corleone
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Clelia Cortile
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Bellei
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Physiopathology and Integrated Center of Metabolomics Research, IRCCS San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca De Nicola
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Bruno Amadio
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Svitlana Gumenyuk
- Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Marchesi
- Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ombretta Annibali
- Unit Of Hematology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128, Roma, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi, 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Fanciulli
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics, and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
| | - Silvia Di Agostino
- Department of Health Sciences, Magna Græcia University of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
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4
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Scaini MC, Catoni C, Poggiana C, Pigozzo J, Piccin L, Leone K, Scarabello I, Facchinetti A, Menin C, Elefanti L, Pellegrini S, Aleotti V, Vidotto R, Schiavi F, Fabozzi A, Chiarion-Sileni V, Rosato A. A multiparameter liquid biopsy approach allows to track melanoma dynamics and identify early treatment resistance. NPJ Precis Oncol 2024; 8:78. [PMID: 38548846 PMCID: PMC10978909 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-024-00567-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanoma heterogeneity is a hurdle in metastatic disease management. Although the advent of targeted therapy has significantly improved patient outcomes, the occurrence of resistance makes monitoring of the tumor genetic landscape mandatory. Liquid biopsy could represent an important biomarker for the real-time tracing of disease evolution. Thus, we aimed to correlate liquid biopsy dynamics with treatment response and progression by devising a multiplatform approach applied to longitudinal melanoma patient monitoring. We conceived an approach that exploits Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and droplet digital PCR, as well as the FDA-cleared platform CellSearch, to analyze circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) trend and circulating melanoma cell (CMC) count, together with their customized genetic and copy number variation analysis. The approach was applied to 17 stage IV melanoma patients treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors, followed for up to 28 months. BRAF mutations were detected in the plasma of 82% of patients. Single nucleotide variants known or suspected to confer resistance were identified in 70% of patients. Moreover, the amount of ctDNA, both at baseline and during response, correlated with the type and duration of the response itself, and the CMC count was confirmed to be a prognostic biomarker. This work provides proof of principle of the power of this approach and paves the way for a validation study aimed at evaluating early ctDNA-guided treatment decisions in stage IV melanoma. The NGS-based molecular profile complemented the analysis of ctDNA trend and, together with CMC analysis, revealed to be useful in capturing tumor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chiara Scaini
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy.
| | - Cristina Catoni
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Cristina Poggiana
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy.
| | - Jacopo Pigozzo
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Luisa Piccin
- Medical Oncology 2, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Kevin Leone
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Ilaria Scarabello
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Antonella Facchinetti
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DiSCOG), Oncology Section, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Chiara Menin
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Lisa Elefanti
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Stefania Pellegrini
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Valentina Aleotti
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Riccardo Vidotto
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Francesca Schiavi
- Familial Cancer Clinic, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessio Fabozzi
- Oncology Unit 3, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Rosato
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology - IOV IRCCS, Padua, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DiSCOG), Oncology Section, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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5
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Niceta M, Ciolfi A, Ferilli M, Pedace L, Cappelletti C, Nardini C, Hildonen M, Chiriatti L, Miele E, Dentici ML, Gnazzo M, Cesario C, Pisaneschi E, Baban A, Novelli A, Maitz S, Selicorni A, Squeo GM, Merla G, Dallapiccola B, Tumer Z, Digilio MC, Priolo M, Tartaglia M. DNA methylation profiling in Kabuki syndrome: reclassification of germline KMT2D VUS and sensitivity in validating postzygotic mosaicism. Eur J Hum Genet 2024:10.1038/s41431-024-01597-9. [PMID: 38528056 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-024-01597-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Autosomal dominant Kabuki syndrome (KS) is a rare multiple congenital anomalies/neurodevelopmental disorder caused by heterozygous inactivating variants or structural rearrangements of the lysine-specific methyltransferase 2D (KMT2D) gene. While it is often recognizable due to a distinctive gestalt, the disorder is clinically variable, and a phenotypic scoring system has been introduced to help clinicians to reach a clinical diagnosis. The phenotype, however, can be less pronounced in some patients, including those carrying postzygotic mutations. The full spectrum of pathogenic variation in KMT2D has not fully been characterized, which may hamper the clinical classification of a portion of these variants. DNA methylation (DNAm) profiling has successfully been used as a tool to classify variants in genes associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders, including KS. In this work, we applied a KS-specific DNAm signature in a cohort of 13 individuals with KMT2D VUS and clinical features suggestive or overlapping with KS. We succeeded in correctly classifying all the tested individuals, confirming diagnosis for three subjects and rejecting the pathogenic role of 10 VUS in the context of KS. In the latter group, exome sequencing allowed to identify the genetic cause underlying the disorder in three subjects. By testing five individuals with postzygotic pathogenic KMT2D variants, we also provide evidence that DNAm profiling has power to recognize pathogenic variants at different levels of mosaicism, identifying 15% as the minimum threshold for which DNAm profiling can be applied as an informative diagnostic tool in KS mosaics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Niceta
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciolfi
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Ferilli
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
- Department of Computer, Control and Management Engineering, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Pedace
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Camilla Cappelletti
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Nardini
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Mathis Hildonen
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Kennedy Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshopsitalet, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
| | - Luigi Chiriatti
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Evelina Miele
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Lisa Dentici
- Medical Genetics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Gnazzo
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Cesario
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Pisaneschi
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Anwar Baban
- Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Arrhythmias Unit, Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Novelli
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Translational Cytogenomics Research Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Maitz
- Genetica Clinica Pediatrica, Fondazione MBBM, ASST Monza Ospedale San Gerardo, 20900, Monza, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Maria Squeo
- Laboratory of Regulatory and Functional Genomics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, 71013, Foggia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merla
- Laboratory of Regulatory and Functional Genomics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, 71013, Foggia, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Bruno Dallapiccola
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Zeynep Tumer
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Kennedy Center, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshopsitalet, 2600, Glostrup, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Manuela Priolo
- Medical and Laboratory Genetics, Antonio Cardarelli Hospital, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy.
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6
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Viggiano M, Ceroni F, Visconti P, Posar A, Scaduto MC, Sandoni L, Baravelli I, Cameli C, Rochat MJ, Maresca A, Vaisfeld A, Gentilini D, Calzari L, Carelli V, Zody MC, Maestrini E, Bacchelli E. Genomic analysis of 116 autism families strengthens known risk genes and highlights promising candidates. NPJ Genom Med 2024; 9:21. [PMID: 38519481 PMCID: PMC10959942 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-024-00411-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with a strong genetic component in which rare variants contribute significantly to risk. We performed whole genome and/or exome sequencing (WGS and WES) and SNP-array analysis to identify both rare sequence and copy number variants (SNVs and CNVs) in 435 individuals from 116 ASD families. We identified 37 rare potentially damaging de novo SNVs (pdSNVs) in the cases (n = 144). Interestingly, two of them (one stop-gain and one missense variant) occurred in the same gene, BRSK2. Moreover, the identification of 8 severe de novo pdSNVs in genes not previously implicated in ASD (AGPAT3, IRX5, MGAT5B, RAB8B, RAP1A, RASAL2, SLC9A1, YME1L1) highlighted promising candidates. Potentially damaging CNVs (pdCNVs) provided support to the involvement of inherited variants in PHF3, NEGR1, TIAM1 and HOMER1 in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), although mostly acting as susceptibility factors with incomplete penetrance. Interpretation of identified pdSNVs/pdCNVs according to the ACMG guidelines led to a molecular diagnosis in 19/144 cases, although this figure represents a lower limit and is expected to increase thanks to further clarification of the role of likely pathogenic variants in ASD/NDD candidate genes not yet established. In conclusion, our study highlights promising ASD candidate genes and contributes to characterize the allelic diversity, mode of inheritance and phenotypic impact of de novo and inherited risk variants in ASD/NDD genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Viggiano
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Fabiola Ceroni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Paola Visconti
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOSI Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Bologna, Italy
| | - Annio Posar
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOSI Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Scaduto
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, UOSI Disturbi dello Spettro Autistico, Bologna, Italy
| | - Laura Sandoni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Irene Baravelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Cinzia Cameli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Magali J Rochat
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandra Maresca
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Vaisfeld
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Davide Gentilini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomic Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luciano Calzari
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genomic Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Valerio Carelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Programma di Neurogenetica, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Elena Maestrini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Elena Bacchelli
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
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7
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Reggiani F, Talarico G, Gobbi G, Sauta E, Torricelli F, Manicardi V, Zanetti E, Orecchioni S, Falvo P, Piana S, Lococo F, Paci M, Bertolini F, Ciarrocchi A, Sancisi V. BET inhibitors drive Natural Killer activation in non-small cell lung cancer via BRD4 and SMAD3. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2567. [PMID: 38519469 PMCID: PMC10960013 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46778-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the most common lung cancer and one of the pioneer tumors in which immunotherapy has radically changed patients' outcomes. However, several issues are emerging and their implementation is required to optimize immunotherapy-based protocols. In this work, we investigate the ability of the Bromodomain and Extra-Terminal protein inhibitors (BETi) to stimulate a proficient anti-tumor immune response toward NSCLC. By using in vitro, ex-vivo, and in vivo models, we demonstrate that these epigenetic drugs specifically enhance Natural Killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity. BETi down-regulate a large set of NK inhibitory receptors, including several immune checkpoints (ICs), that are direct targets of the transcriptional cooperation between the BET protein BRD4 and the transcription factor SMAD3. Overall, BETi orchestrate an epigenetic reprogramming that leads to increased recognition of tumor cells and the killing ability of NK cells. Our results unveil the opportunity to exploit and repurpose these drugs in combination with immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Reggiani
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
| | - Giovanna Talarico
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Onco-Tech Lab, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS and Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Gobbi
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Sauta
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, IRCCS, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Torricelli
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Veronica Manicardi
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Clinical and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Eleonora Zanetti
- Pathology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Biobank, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Stefania Orecchioni
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Onco-Tech Lab, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS and Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Falvo
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Onco-Tech Lab, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS and Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Simonetta Piana
- Pathology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Biobank, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Filippo Lococo
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Paci
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesco Bertolini
- Laboratory of Hematology-Oncology, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
- Onco-Tech Lab, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS and Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Ciarrocchi
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Valentina Sancisi
- Translational Research Laboratory, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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8
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Rosito M, Maqbool J, Reccagni A, Giampaoli O, Sciubba F, Antonangeli F, Scavizzi F, Raspa M, Cordella F, Tondo L, Di Angelantonio S, Trettel F, Miccheli A, D'Alessandro G, Limatola C. Antibiotics treatment promotes vasculogenesis in the brain of glioma-bearing mice. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:210. [PMID: 38480690 PMCID: PMC10937980 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06578-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, several studies described the close relationship between the composition of gut microbiota and brain functions, highlighting the importance of gut-derived metabolites in mediating neuronal and glial cells cross-talk in physiological and pathological condition. Gut dysbiosis may affects cerebral tumors growth and progression, but the specific metabolites involved in this modulation have not been identified yet. Using a syngeneic mouse model of glioma, we have investigated the role of dysbiosis induced by the administration of non-absorbable antibiotics on mouse metabolome and on tumor microenvironment. We report that antibiotics treatment induced: (1) alteration of the gut and brain metabolome profiles; (2) modeling of tumor microenvironment toward a pro-angiogenic phenotype in which microglia and glioma cells are actively involved; (3) increased glioma stemness; (4) trans-differentiation of glioma cells into endothelial precursor cells, thus increasing vasculogenesis. We propose glycine as a metabolite that, in ABX-induced dysbiosis, shapes brain microenvironment and contributes to glioma growth and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Rosito
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nanoscience & Neuroscience Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Javeria Maqbool
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Alice Reccagni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Ottavia Giampaoli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Sciubba
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Antonangeli
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Federica Cordella
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nanoscience & Neuroscience Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Tondo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nanoscience & Neuroscience Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Di Angelantonio
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- Center for Life Nanoscience & Neuroscience Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia@Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Trettel
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
| | - Alfredo Miccheli
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- NMR-Based Metabolomics Laboratory (NMLab), Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppina D'Alessandro
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
| | - Cristina Limatola
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy.
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, Laboratory Affiliated to Institute Pasteur Italia, Rome, Italy.
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9
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Liguoro D, Frigerio R, Ortolano A, Sacconi A, Acunzo M, Romano G, Nigita G, Bellei B, Madonna G, Capone M, Ascierto PA, Mancini R, Ciliberto G, Fattore L. The MITF/mir-579-3p regulatory axis dictates BRAF-mutated melanoma cell fate in response to MAPK inhibitors. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:208. [PMID: 38472212 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Therapy of melanoma has improved dramatically over the last years thanks to the development of targeted therapies (MAPKi) and immunotherapies. However, drug resistance continues to limit the efficacy of these therapies. Our research group has provided robust evidence as to the involvement of a set of microRNAs in the development of resistance to target therapy in BRAF-mutated melanomas. Among them, a pivotal role is played by the oncosuppressor miR-579-3p. Here we show that miR-579-3p and the microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) influence reciprocally their expression through positive feedback regulatory loops. In particular we show that miR-579-3p is specifically deregulated in BRAF-mutant melanomas and that its expression levels mirror those of MITF. Luciferase and ChIP studies show that MITF is a positive regulator of miR-579-3p, which is located in the intron 11 of the human gene ZFR (Zink-finger recombinase) and is co-transcribed with its host gene. Moreover, miR-579-3p, by targeting BRAF, is able to stabilize MITF protein thus inducing its own transcription. From biological points of view, early exposure to MAPKi or, alternatively miR-579-3p transfection, induce block of proliferation and trigger senescence programs in BRAF-mutant melanoma cells. Finally, the long-term development of resistance to MAPKi is able to select cells characterized by the loss of both miR-579-3p and MITF and the same down-regulation is also present in patients relapsing after treatments. Altogether these findings suggest that miR-579-3p/MITF interplay potentially governs the balance between proliferation, senescence and resistance to therapies in BRAF-mutant melanomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Liguoro
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Rachele Frigerio
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Arianna Ortolano
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic- Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Sacconi
- Clinical Trial Center, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Acunzo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Giulia Romano
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA
| | - Giovanni Nigita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics and Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Barbara Bellei
- Laboratory of Cutaneous Physiopathology, San Gallicano Dermatological Institute, IRCCS, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriele Madonna
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Mariaelena Capone
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Ascierto
- Unit of Melanoma, Cancer Immunotherapy and Development Therapeutics, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Rita Mancini
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sant'Andrea Hospital-Sapienza University of Rome, 00118, Rome, Italy
| | - Gennaro Ciliberto
- Scientific Directorate, IRCSS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144, Rome, Italy.
| | - Luigi Fattore
- SAFU Laboratory, Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Translational Research Area, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, 00144, Rome, Italy
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10
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Pigoni A, Delvecchio G, Turtulici N, Madonna D, Pietrini P, Cecchetti L, Brambilla P. Machine learning and the prediction of suicide in psychiatric populations: a systematic review. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:140. [PMID: 38461283 PMCID: PMC10925059 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02852-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Machine learning (ML) has emerged as a promising tool to enhance suicidal prediction. However, as many large-sample studies mixed psychiatric and non-psychiatric populations, a formal psychiatric diagnosis emerged as a strong predictor of suicidal risk, overshadowing more subtle risk factors specific to distinct populations. To overcome this limitation, we conducted a systematic review of ML studies evaluating suicidal behaviors exclusively in psychiatric clinical populations. A systematic literature search was performed from inception through November 17, 2022 on PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus following the PRISMA guidelines. Original research using ML techniques to assess the risk of suicide or predict suicide attempts in the psychiatric population were included. An assessment for bias risk was performed using the transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis (TRIPOD) guidelines. About 1032 studies were retrieved, and 81 satisfied the inclusion criteria and were included for qualitative synthesis. Clinical and demographic features were the most frequently employed and random forest, support vector machine, and convolutional neural network performed better in terms of accuracy than other algorithms when directly compared. Despite heterogeneity in procedures, most studies reported an accuracy of 70% or greater based on features such as previous attempts, severity of the disorder, and pharmacological treatments. Although the evidence reported is promising, ML algorithms for suicidal prediction still present limitations, including the lack of neurobiological and imaging data and the lack of external validation samples. Overcoming these issues may lead to the development of models to adopt in clinical practice. Further research is warranted to boost a field that holds the potential to critically impact suicide mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Pigoni
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Group, MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Nunzio Turtulici
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Madonna
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Pietrini
- MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Luca Cecchetti
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Group, MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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11
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Chiappella A, Casadei B, Chiusolo P, Di Rocco A, Ljevar S, Magni M, Angelillo P, Barbui AM, Cutini I, Dodero A, Bonifazi F, Tisi MC, Bramanti S, Musso M, Farina M, Martino M, Novo M, Grillo G, Patriarca F, Zacchi G, Krampera M, Pennisi M, Galli E, Martelli M, Ferreri AJM, Ferrari S, Saccardi R, Bermema A, Guidetti A, Miceli R, Zinzani PL, Corradini P. Axicabtagene ciloleucel treatment is more effective in primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphomas than in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas: the Italian CART-SIE study. Leukemia 2024:10.1038/s41375-024-02213-x. [PMID: 38459167 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-024-02213-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
Axicabtagene ciloleucel showed efficacy for relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphomas (LBCL), including primary mediastinal B-cell lymphomas (PMBCL); however, only few PMBCLs were reported. Aim was to evaluate efficacy and safety of axicabtagene ciloleucel in patients with PMBCL compared to those with other LBCL, enrolled in the Italian prospective observational CART-SIE study. PMBCLs (n = 70) were younger, with higher percentage of bulky and refractory disease, compared to other LBCLs (n = 190). Median follow-up time for infused patients was 12.17 months (IQR 5.53,22.73). The overall (complete + partial) response rate (ORR,CR + PR) after bridging was 41% for PMBCL and 28% for other LBCL, p = 0.0102. Thirty days ORR was 78% (53/68) with 50% (34) CR in PMBCL, and 75% (141/187) with 53% (100) CR in other LBCL, p = 0.5457. Ninety days ORR was 69% (45/65) with 65% (42) CR in PMBCL, and 54% (87/162) with 47% (76) CR in other LBCL; progressive disease was 21% in PMBCL and 45% in other LBCL, p = 0.0336. Twelve months progression-free survival was 62% (95% CI: 51-75) in PMBCL versus 48% (95% CI: 41-57) in other LBCL, p = 0.0386. Twelve months overall survival was 86% (95% CI: 78-95) in PMBCL versus 71% (95% CI: 64-79) in other LBCL, p = 0.0034. All grade cytokine release syndrome was 88% (228/260); all grade neurotoxicity was 34% (88/260), with 6% of fatal events in PMBCL. Non-relapse mortality was 3%. In conclusion, PMBCLs achieved significantly better response and survival rates than other LBCLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Chiappella
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
| | - Beatrice Casadei
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Patrizia Chiusolo
- Department of Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Alice Di Rocco
- Hematology Section, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Silva Ljevar
- Unit of Biostatistics for Clinical Research, Department of Data Science, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Martina Magni
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Piera Angelillo
- Lymphoma Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Barbui
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cutini
- SOD Terapie Cellulari e Medicina Trasfusionale, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Firenze, Italy
| | - Anna Dodero
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Bonifazi
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Tisi
- Hematology Unit, San Bortolo Hospital, A.U.L.S.S. 8 "Berica", Vicenza, Italy
| | - Stefania Bramanti
- Department of Oncology/Hematology, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milano, Italy
| | - Maurizio Musso
- UOC di oncoematologia e TMO "La Maddalena", Palermo, Italy
| | - Mirko Farina
- Unit of Blood Disease and Bone Marrow Transplantation, and Unit of Hematology, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Massimo Martino
- Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapies Unit (CTMO), Department of Hemato-Oncology and Radiotherapy, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano "Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli", Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Mattia Novo
- Division of Hematology, Città della Salute e della Scienza Hospital and University, Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanni Grillo
- Dipartimento di Ematologia e trapianto di midollo, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milano, Italy
| | - Francesca Patriarca
- Clinica Ematologica ed Unità Terapie Cellulari, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale, Dipartimento di Area Medica, Università di Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Giulia Zacchi
- SCDU Ematologia AO SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo ed Università del Piemonte Orientale, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Mauro Krampera
- UOC di Ematologia e Centro Trapianto di Midollo Osseo - Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona Policlinico G.B. Rossi, Verona, Italy
| | - Martina Pennisi
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Eugenio Galli
- Department of Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Maurizio Martelli
- Hematology Section, Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Ferrari
- Department of Oncology and Hematology, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale Papa Giovanni XXIII, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Riccardo Saccardi
- SOD Terapie Cellulari e Medicina Trasfusionale, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Firenze, Italy
| | - Anisa Bermema
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Guidetti
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
- Chair of Hematology, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Rosalba Miceli
- Unit of Biostatistics for Clinical Research, Department of Data Science, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Pier Luigi Zinzani
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Paolo Corradini
- Division of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
- Chair of Hematology, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
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12
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Stampanoni Bassi M, Gilio L, Buttari F, Dolcetti E, Bruno A, Galifi G, Azzolini F, Borrelli A, Mandolesi G, Gentile A, De Vito F, Musella A, Simonelli I, Centonze D, Iezzi E. Preventive exercise and physical rehabilitation promote long-term potentiation-like plasticity expression in patients with multiple sclerosis. Eur J Neurol 2024; 31:e16071. [PMID: 37754770 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Loss of long-term potentiation (LTP) expression has been associated with a worse disease course in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RR-MS) and represents a pathophysiological hallmark of progressive multiple sclerosis (PMS). Exercise and physical rehabilitation are the most prominent therapeutic approaches to promote synaptic plasticity. We aimed to explore whether physical exercise is able to improve the expression of LTP-like plasticity in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS In 46 newly diagnosed RR-MS patients, we explored the impact of preventive exercise on LTP-like plasticity as assessed by intermittent theta-burst stimulation. Patients were divided into sedentary or active, based on physical activity performed during the 6 months prior to diagnosis. Furthermore, in 18 patients with PMS, we evaluated the impact of an 8-week inpatient neurorehabilitation program on clinical scores and LTP-like plasticity explored using paired associative stimulation (PAS). Synaptic plasticity expression was compared in patients and healthy subjects. RESULTS Reduced LTP expression was found in RR-MS patients compared with controls. Exercising RR-MS patients showed a greater amount of LTP expression compared with sedentary patients. In PMS patients, LTP expression was reduced compared with controls and increased after 8 weeks of rehabilitation. In this group of patients, LTP magnitude at baseline predicted the improvement in hand dexterity. CONCLUSIONS Both preventive exercise and physical rehabilitation may enhance the expression of LTP-like synaptic plasticity in MS, with potential beneficial effects on disability accumulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luana Gilio
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, Uninettuno Telematic International University, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Georgia Mandolesi
- Synaptic Immunopathology Lab, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, University of Roma San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessandra Musella
- Synaptic Immunopathology Lab, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, Rome, Italy
- Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, University of Roma San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilaria Simonelli
- Service of Medical Statistics and Information Technology, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina - Gemelli Isola, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Centonze
- IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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13
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Terragna C, Poletti A, Solli V, Martello M, Zamagni E, Pantani L, Borsi E, Vigliotta I, Mazzocchetti G, Armuzzi S, Taurisano B, Testoni N, Marzocchi G, Kanapari A, Pistis I, Tacchetti P, Mancuso K, Rocchi S, Rizzello I, Cavo M. Multi-dimensional scaling techniques unveiled gain1q&loss13q co-occurrence in Multiple Myeloma patients with specific genomic, transcriptional and adverse clinical features. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1551. [PMID: 38378709 PMCID: PMC10879136 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45000-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The complexity of Multiple Myeloma (MM) is driven by several genomic aberrations, interacting with disease-related and/or -unrelated factors and conditioning patients' clinical outcome. Patient's prognosis is hardly predictable, as commonly employed MM risk models do not precisely partition high- from low-risk patients, preventing the reliable recognition of early relapsing/refractory patients. By a dimensionality reduction approach, here we dissect the genomic landscape of a large cohort of newly diagnosed MM patients, modelling all the possible interactions between any MM chromosomal alterations. We highlight the presence of a distinguished cluster of patients in the low-dimensionality space, with unfavorable clinical behavior, whose biology was driven by the co-occurrence of chromosomes 1q CN gain and 13 CN loss. Presence or absence of these alterations define MM patients overexpressing either CCND2 or CCND1, fostering the implementation of biology-based patients' classification models to describe the different MM clinical behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Terragna
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy.
| | - Andrea Poletti
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vincenza Solli
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marina Martello
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Elena Zamagni
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Lucia Pantani
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Enrica Borsi
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Vigliotta
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Gaia Mazzocchetti
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Armuzzi
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Barbara Taurisano
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Testoni
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulia Marzocchi
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ajsi Kanapari
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ignazia Pistis
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Paola Tacchetti
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
| | - Katia Mancuso
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Serena Rocchi
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Ilaria Rizzello
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michele Cavo
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna-Istituto di Ematologia "Seràgnoli", Bologna, Italy
- DIMEC-Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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14
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Maggioni E, Pigoni A, Fontana E, Delvecchio G, Bonivento C, Bianchi V, Mauri M, Bellina M, Girometti R, Agarwal N, Nobile M, Brambilla P. Right frontal cingulate cortex mediates the effect of prenatal complications on youth internalizing behaviors. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02475-y. [PMID: 38378927 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02475-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Prenatal and perinatal complications represent well-known risk factors for the future development of psychiatric disorders. Such influence might become manifested during childhood and adolescence, as key periods for brain and behavioral changes. Internalizing and externalizing behaviors in adolescence have been associated with the risk of psychiatric onset later in life. Both brain morphology and behavior seem to be affected by obstetric complications, but a clear link among these three aspects is missing. Here, we aimed at analyzing the association between prenatal and perinatal complications, behavioral issues, and brain volumes in a group of children and adolescents. Eighty-two children and adolescents with emotional-behavioral problems underwent clinical and 3 T brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessments. The former included information on behavior, through the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 (CBCL/6-18), and on the occurrence of obstetric complications. The relationships between clinical and gray matter volume (GMV) measures were investigated through multiple generalized linear models and mediation models. We found a mutual link between prenatal complications, GMV alterations in the frontal gyrus, and withdrawn problems. Specifically, complications during pregnancy were associated with higher CBCL/6-18 withdrawn scores and GMV reductions in the right superior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex. Finally, a mediation effect of these GMV measures on the association between prenatal complications and the withdrawn dimension was identified. Our findings suggest a key role of obstetric complications in affecting brain structure and behavior. For the first time, a mediator role of frontal GMV in the relationship between prenatal complications and internalizing symptoms was suggested. Once replicated on independent cohorts, this evidence will have relevant implications for planning preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Electronics Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pigoni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Group, MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Elisa Fontana
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Valentina Bianchi
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lc), Italy
| | - Maddalena Mauri
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lc), Italy
| | - Monica Bellina
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lc), Italy
| | - Rossano Girometti
- Institute of Radiology, Department of Medicine (DMED), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
- University Hospital S. Maria Della Misericordia, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), Udine, Italy
| | - Nivedita Agarwal
- Neuroimaging Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lc), Italy
| | - Maria Nobile
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Scientific Institute IRCCS "Eugenio Medea", Bosisio Parini (Lc), Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
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15
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Eberhart T, Stanley FU, Ricci L, Chirico T, Ferrarese R, Sisti S, Scagliola A, Baj A, Badurek S, Sommer A, Culp-Hill R, Dzieciatkowska M, Shokry E, Sumpton D, D'Alessandro A, Clementi N, Mancini N, Cardaci S. ACOD1 deficiency offers protection in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity by maintaining a healthy gut microbiota. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:105. [PMID: 38302438 PMCID: PMC10834593 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06483-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Aconitate decarboxylase 1 (ACOD1) is the enzyme synthesizing itaconate, an immuno-regulatory metabolite tuning host-pathogen interactions. Such functions are achieved by affecting metabolic pathways regulating inflammation and microbe survival. However, at the whole-body level, metabolic roles of itaconate remain largely unresolved. By using multiomics-integrated approaches, here we show that ACOD1 responds to high-fat diet consumption in mice by promoting gut microbiota alterations supporting metabolic disease. Genetic disruption of itaconate biosynthesis protects mice against obesity, alterations in glucose homeostasis and liver metabolic dysfunctions by decreasing meta-inflammatory responses to dietary lipid overload. Mechanistically, fecal metagenomics and microbiota transplantation experiments demonstrate such effects are dependent on an amelioration of the intestinal ecosystem composition, skewed by high-fat diet feeding towards obesogenic phenotype. In particular, unbiased fecal microbiota profiling and axenic culture experiments point towards a primary role for itaconate in inhibiting growth of Bacteroidaceae and Bacteroides, family and genus of Bacteroidetes phylum, the major gut microbial taxon associated with metabolic health. Specularly to the effects imposed by Acod1 deficiency on fecal microbiota, oral itaconate consumption enhances diet-induced gut dysbiosis and associated obesogenic responses in mice. Unveiling an unrecognized role of itaconate, either endogenously produced or exogenously administered, in supporting microbiota alterations underlying diet-induced obesity in mice, our study points ACOD1 as a target against inflammatory consequences of overnutrition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Eberhart
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Uchenna Stanley
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Ricci
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Chirico
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberto Ferrarese
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, 20100, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, 20100, Italy
- Synlab Italia, Castenedolo, BS, Italy
| | - Sofia Sisti
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, 20100, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, 20100, Italy
| | - Alessandra Scagliola
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale di Genetica Molecolare, INGM, "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Andreina Baj
- Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
| | - Sylvia Badurek
- Preclinical Phenotyping Facility, Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities (VBCF), member of the Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Sommer
- Next Generation Sequencing Facility, Vienna BioCenter Core Facilities (VBCF), member of the Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Rachel Culp-Hill
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Monika Dzieciatkowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | | | | | - Angelo D'Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Anschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Nicola Clementi
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, 20100, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, 20100, Italy
| | - Nicasio Mancini
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, 20100, Italy
- IRCCS San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, 20100, Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Department of Medicine and Technological Innovation, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
- Laboratory of Medical Microbiology and Virology, Fondazione Macchi University Hospital, Varese, Italy
| | - Simone Cardaci
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Lospinoso Severini L, Loricchio E, Navacci S, Basili I, Alfonsi R, Bernardi F, Moretti M, Conenna M, Cucinotta A, Coni S, Petroni M, De Smaele E, Giannini G, Maroder M, Canettieri G, Mastronuzzi A, Guardavaccaro D, Ayrault O, Infante P, Bufalieri F, Di Marcotullio L. SALL4 is a CRL3 REN/KCTD11 substrate that drives Sonic Hedgehog-dependent medulloblastoma. Cell Death Differ 2024; 31:170-187. [PMID: 38062245 PMCID: PMC10850099 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-023-01246-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) pathway is crucial regulator of embryonic development and stemness. Its alteration leads to medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant pediatric brain tumor. The SHH-MB subgroup is the best genetically characterized, however the molecular mechanisms responsible for its pathogenesis are not fully understood and therapeutic benefits are still limited. Here, we show that the pro-oncogenic stemness regulator Spalt-like transcriptional factor 4 (SALL4) is re-expressed in mouse SHH-MB models, and its high levels correlate with worse overall survival in SHH-MB patients. Proteomic analysis revealed that SALL4 interacts with REN/KCTD11 (here REN), a substrate receptor subunit of the Cullin3-RING ubiquitin ligase complex (CRL3REN) and a tumor suppressor lost in ~30% of human SHH-MBs. We demonstrate that CRL3REN induces polyubiquitylation and degradation of wild type SALL4, but not of a SALL4 mutant lacking zinc finger cluster 1 domain (ΔZFC1). Interestingly, SALL4 binds GLI1 and cooperates with HDAC1 to potentiate GLI1 deacetylation and transcriptional activity. Notably, inhibition of SALL4 suppresses SHH-MB growth both in murine and patient-derived xenograft models. Our findings identify SALL4 as a CRL3REN substrate and a promising therapeutic target in SHH-dependent cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elena Loricchio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Shirin Navacci
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Basili
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR, INSERM, 91401, Orsay, France
| | - Romina Alfonsi
- Centro Nazionale per il Controllo e la Valutazione dei Farmaci, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Flavia Bernardi
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR, INSERM, 91401, Orsay, France
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR, INSERM U, 91401, Orsay, France
| | - Marta Moretti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marilisa Conenna
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonino Cucinotta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Coni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marialaura Petroni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Enrico De Smaele
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Giannini
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marella Maroder
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Canettieri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Mastronuzzi
- Department of Pediatric Haematology and Oncology, and Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Olivier Ayrault
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR, INSERM, 91401, Orsay, France
- Université Paris Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR, INSERM U, 91401, Orsay, France
| | - Paola Infante
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Bufalieri
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lucia Di Marcotullio
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy.
- Istituto Pasteur-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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17
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Lenge M, Balestrini S, Napolitano A, Mei D, Conti V, Baldassarri G, Trivisano M, Pellacani S, Macconi L, Longo D, Rossi Espagnet MC, Cappelletti S, D'Incerti L, Barba C, Specchio N, Guerrini R. Morphometric network-based abnormalities correlate with psychiatric comorbidities and gene expression in PCDH19-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:35. [PMID: 38238304 PMCID: PMC10796344 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02753-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Protocadherin-19 (PCDH19) developmental and epileptic encephalopathy causes an early-onset epilepsy syndrome with limbic seizures, typically occurring in clusters and variably associated with intellectual disability and a range of psychiatric disorders including hyperactive, obsessive-compulsive and autistic features. Previous quantitative neuroimaging studies revealed abnormal cortical areas in the limbic formation (parahippocampal and fusiform gyri) and underlying white-matter fibers. In this study, we adopted morphometric, network-based and multivariate statistical methods to examine the cortex and substructure of the hippocampus and amygdala in a cohort of 20 PCDH19-mutated patients and evaluated the relation between structural patterns and clinical variables at individual level. We also correlated morphometric alterations with known patterns of PCDH19 expression levels. We found patients to exhibit high-significant reductions of cortical surface area at a whole-brain level (left/right pvalue = 0.045/0.084), and particularly in the regions of the limbic network (left/right parahippocampal gyri pvalue = 0.230/0.016; left/right entorhinal gyri pvalue = 0.002/0.327), and bilateral atrophy of several subunits of the amygdala and hippocampus, particularly in the CA regions (head of the left CA3 pvalue = 0.002; body of the right CA3 pvalue = 0.004), and differences in the shape of hippocampal structures. More severe psychiatric comorbidities correlated with more significant altered patterns, with the entorhinal gyrus (pvalue = 0.013) and body of hippocampus (pvalue = 0.048) being more severely affected. Morphometric alterations correlated significantly with the known expression patterns of PCDH19 (rvalue = -0.26, pspin = 0.092). PCDH19 encephalopathy represents a model of genetically determined neural network based neuropsychiatric disease in which quantitative MRI-based findings correlate with the severity of clinical manifestations and had have a potential predictive value if analyzed early.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Lenge
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Simona Balestrini
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Antonio Napolitano
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Mei
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Valerio Conti
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Baldassarri
- Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Trivisano
- Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Pellacani
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Letizia Macconi
- Pediatric Radiology Unit, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Daniela Longo
- Functional and Interventional Neuroimaging Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Simona Cappelletti
- Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Ludovico D'Incerti
- Pediatric Radiology Unit, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Carmen Barba
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy
| | - Nicola Specchio
- Neurology, Epilepsy and Movement Disorders, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, 00165, Rome, Italy
| | - Renzo Guerrini
- Child Neurology Unit and Laboratories, Neuroscience Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, 50139, Florence, Italy.
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18
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Di Marco G, Gherardi G, De Mario A, Piazza I, Baraldo M, Mattarei A, Blaauw B, Rizzuto R, De Stefani D, Mammucari C. The mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channel (mitoK ATP) controls skeletal muscle structure and function. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:58. [PMID: 38233399 PMCID: PMC10794173 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06426-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
MitoKATP is a channel of the inner mitochondrial membrane that controls mitochondrial K+ influx according to ATP availability. Recently, the genes encoding the pore-forming (MITOK) and the regulatory ATP-sensitive (MITOSUR) subunits of mitoKATP were identified, allowing the genetic manipulation of the channel. Here, we analyzed the role of mitoKATP in determining skeletal muscle structure and activity. Mitok-/- muscles were characterized by mitochondrial cristae remodeling and defective oxidative metabolism, with consequent impairment of exercise performance and altered response to damaging muscle contractions. On the other hand, constitutive mitochondrial K+ influx by MITOK overexpression in the skeletal muscle triggered overt mitochondrial dysfunction and energy default, increased protein polyubiquitination, aberrant autophagy flux, and induction of a stress response program. MITOK overexpressing muscles were therefore severely atrophic. Thus, the proper modulation of mitoKATP activity is required for the maintenance of skeletal muscle homeostasis and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Di Marco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gaia Gherardi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Agnese De Mario
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Piazza
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Mattarei
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Bert Blaauw
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Venetian Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padova, Italy
- Myology Center (CIR-Myo), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Rosario Rizzuto
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Myology Center (CIR-Myo), University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Diego De Stefani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Cristina Mammucari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
- Myology Center (CIR-Myo), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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19
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Pozzi M, Vantaggiato C, Brivio F, Orso G, Bassi MT. Olanzapine, risperidone and ziprasidone differently affect lysosomal function and autophagy, reflecting their different metabolic risk in patients. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:13. [PMID: 38191558 PMCID: PMC10774340 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02686-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The metabolic effects induced by antipsychotics in vitro depend on their action on the trafficking and biosynthesis of sterols and lipids. Previous research showed that antipsychotics with different adverse effects in patients cause similar alterations in vitro, suggesting the low clinical usefulness of cellular studies. Moreover, the inhibition of peripheral AMPK was suggested as potential aetiopathogenic mechanisms of olanzapine, and different effects on autophagy were reported for several antipsychotics. We thus assessed, in clinically-relevant culture conditions, the aetiopathogenic mechanisms of olanzapine, risperidone and ziprasidone, antipsychotics with respectively high, medium, low metabolic risk in patients, finding relevant differences among them. We highlighted that: olanzapine impairs lysosomal function affecting autophagy and autophagosome clearance, and increasing intracellular lipids and sterols; ziprasidone activates AMPK increasing the autophagic flux and reducing intracellular lipids; risperidone increases lipid accumulation, while it does not affect lysosomal function. These in vitro differences align with their different impact on patients. We also provided evidence that metformin add-on improved autophagy in olanzapine-treated cells and reduced lipid accumulation induced by both risperidone and olanzapine in an AMPK-dependent way; metformin also increased the production of bile acids to eliminate cholesterol accumulations caused by olanzapine. These results have different clinical implications. We demonstrated that antipsychotics with different metabolic impacts on patients actually have different mechanisms of action, thus supporting the possibility of a personalised antipsychotic treatment. Moreover, we found that metformin can fully revert the phenotype caused by risperidone but not the one caused by olanzapine, that still activates SREBP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pozzi
- Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Via D. L. Monza 20, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy.
| | - Chiara Vantaggiato
- Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Via D. L. Monza 20, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Francesca Brivio
- Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Via D. L. Monza 20, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Genny Orso
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, Largo E. Meneghetti 2, Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Bassi
- Scientific Institute IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Via D. L. Monza 20, 23842, Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
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20
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Zapparoli L, Devoto F, Mariano M, Seghezzi S, Servello D, Porta M, Paulesu E. Mapping Gilles de la Tourette syndrome through the distress and relief associated with tic-related behaviors: an fMRI study. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:7. [PMID: 38191475 PMCID: PMC10774308 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02711-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Personal distress associated with tic urges or inhibition and relief associated with tic production are defining features of the personal experience in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS). These affective phenomena have not been studied using fMRI, hindering our understanding of GTS pathophysiology and possible treatments. Here, we present a novel cross-sectional fMRI study designed to map tic-related phenomenology using distress and relief as predicting variables. We adopted a mental imagery approach and dissected the brain activity associated with different phases of tic behaviors, premonitory urges, and the ensuing tic execution or inhibition: these were compared with the mental simulation of "relaxed situations" and pre-determined stereotyped motor behaviors. We then explored whether the ensuing brain patterns correlated with the distress or relief perceived for the different phases of the tasks. Patients experienced a higher level of distress during the imagery of tic-triggering scenarios and no relief during tic inhibition. On the other hand, patients experienced significant relief during tic imagery. Distress during tic-triggering scenarios and relief during tic imagery were significantly correlated. The distress perceived during urges correlated with increased activation in cortical sensorimotor areas, suggesting a motor alarm. Conversely, relief during tic execution was positively associated with the activity of a subcortical network. The activity of the putamen was associated with both distress during urges and relief during tic execution. These findings highlight the importance of assessing the affective component of tic-related phenomenology. Subcortical structures may be causally involved in the affective component of tic pathophysiology, with the putamen playing a central role in both tic urge and generation. We believe that our results can be readily translated into clinical practice for the development of personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient's unique needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Zapparoli
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
- fMRI Unit, IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
| | - Francantonio Devoto
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Marika Mariano
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Seghezzi
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Mauro Porta
- Tourette Center, IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy
| | - Eraldo Paulesu
- Psychology Department and NeuroMi - Milan Centre for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
- fMRI Unit, IRCCS Orthopedic Institute Galeazzi, Milan, Italy.
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21
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Favero A, Segatto I, Capuano A, Mattevi MC, Rampioni Vinciguerra GL, Musco L, D'Andrea S, Dall'Acqua A, Gava C, Perin T, Massarut S, Marchini C, Baldassarre G, Spessotto P, Belletti B. Loss of the extracellular matrix glycoprotein EMILIN1 accelerates Δ16HER2-driven breast cancer initiation in mice. NPJ Breast Cancer 2024; 10:5. [PMID: 38184660 PMCID: PMC10771445 DOI: 10.1038/s41523-023-00608-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important component of the tumor microenvironment and undergoes extensive remodeling during both initiation and progression of breast cancer (BC). EMILIN1 is an ECM glycoprotein, whose function has been linked to cancer and metastasis. However, EMILIN1 role during mammary gland and BC development has never been investigated. In silico and molecular analyses of human samples from normal mammary gland and BC showed that EMILIN1 expression was lower in tumors than in healthy mammary tissue and it predicted poor prognosis, particularly in HER2-positive BC. HER2+ BC accounts for 15-20% of all invasive BC and is characterized by high aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The Δ16HER2 isoform, a splice variant with very high oncogenic potential, is frequently expressed in HER2+ BC and correlates with metastatic disease. To elucidate the role of EMILIN1 in BC, we analyzed the phenotype of MMTV-Δ16HER2 transgenic mice, developing spontaneous multifocal mammary adenocarcinomas, crossed with EMILIN1 knock-out (KO) animals. We observed that Δ16HER2/EMILIN1 KO female mice exhibited an accelerated normal mammary gland development and a significantly anticipated appearance of palpable tumors (13.32 vs 15.28 weeks). This accelerated tumor initiation was corroborated by an increased number of tumor foci observed in mammary glands from Δ16HER2/EMILIN1 KO mice compared to the wild-type counterpart. Altogether our results underscore the centrality of ECM in the process of BC initiation and point to a role for EMILIN1 during normal mammary gland development and in protecting from HER2-driven breast tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Favero
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Capuano
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Mattevi
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gian Luca Rampioni Vinciguerra
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", Santo Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorena Musco
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Sara D'Andrea
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Alessandra Dall'Acqua
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Chiara Gava
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
- Medical Department, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Tiziana Perin
- Unit of Pathology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Samuele Massarut
- Unit of Breast Surgery, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Biology Division, University of Camerino, via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Paola Spessotto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico (CRO) di Aviano, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy.
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22
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Chellini L, Scarfò M, Bonvissuto D, Sette C, Paronetto MP. The DNA/RNA helicase DHX9 orchestrates the KDM2B-mediated transcriptional regulation of YAP1 in Ewing sarcoma. Oncogene 2024; 43:225-234. [PMID: 38017132 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02894-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
Ewing sarcomas (ES) are aggressive paediatric tumours of bone and soft tissues. Resistance to chemotherapy and high propensity to metastasize remain the main causes of treatment failure. Thus, identifying novel targets for alternative therapeutic approaches is urgently needed. DNA/RNA helicases are emerging as crucial regulators of many cellular processes often deregulated in cancer. Among them, DHX9 is up-regulated in ES and collaborates with EWS-FLI1 in ES transformation. We report that DHX9 silencing profoundly impacts on the oncogenic properties of ES cells. Transcriptome profiling combined to bioinformatic analyses disclosed a gene signature commonly regulated by DHX9 and the Lysine Demethylase KDM2B, with the Hippo pathway regulator YAP1 as a prominent target. Mechanistically, we found that DHX9 enhances H3K9 chromatin demethylation by KDM2B and favours RNA Polymerase II recruitment, thus promoting YAP1 expression. Conversely, EWS-FLI1 binding to the promoter represses YAP1 expression. These findings identify the DHX9/KDM2B complex as a new druggable target to counteract ES malignancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lidia Chellini
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
| | - Marzia Scarfò
- Plaisant Polo Tecnologico s.r.l, Castel Romano, Rome, Italy
| | - Davide Bonvissuto
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Sette
- Section of Human Anatomy, Department of Neuroscience, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- GSTeP-Organoids Core Facility, Fondazione Policlinico Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Paronetto
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy.
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23
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Amanzio M, Cipriani GE, Canessa N, Borghesi F, Chirico A, Cipresso P. A unique neuropsychophysiological approach to objectify emotion (dys)regulation in healthy older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23093. [PMID: 38155179 PMCID: PMC10754879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50310-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The response of older people to the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted much attention as they are at increased risk of adverse outcomes. A longitudinal study has shown that improvement in global cognitive, executive and language functioning in healthy older adults enrolled at the University of the Third Age appears to play a protective role against emotional dysregulation and mood changes during the pandemic. To date, no study has examined emotional dysregulation through COVID-19-related images using facial electromyographic recordings in healthy older adults. Therefore, we aimed to analyze the relationships between zygomaticus and corrugator reactivity, neuropsychological measures, and the affective dimensions of arousal, dominance, and valence. The results showed an unexpected association between higher zygomaticus activity and higher levels of apathy, depression, and anxiety. In contrast, increased contracture of the corrugator was associated with poorer performance on cognitive tests (global cognition, memory, executive functions) and physical status, i.e., walking speed. These results are consistent with the reappraisal of emotional stimuli in response to the challenges of the pandemic. Interestingly, COVID-19-related stimuli triggered the activation of bottom-up affectivity strategies associated with higher mood levels and interacted with top-down factors that play an important role in the dysregulation of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Amanzio
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10024, Turin, Italy.
| | | | - Nicola Canessa
- ICoN Center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Alice Chirico
- Department of Psychology, Research Center in Communication Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Cipresso
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, 10024, Turin, Italy
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Laboratory, Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 20145, Milan, Italy
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24
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Pomella S, Cassandri M, D'Archivio L, Porrazzo A, Cossetti C, Phelps D, Perrone C, Pezzella M, Cardinale A, Wachtel M, Aloisi S, Milewski D, Colletti M, Sreenivas P, Walters ZS, Barillari G, Di Giannatale A, Milano GM, De Stefanis C, Alaggio R, Rodriguez-Rodriguez S, Carlesso N, Vakoc CR, Velardi E, Schafer BW, Guccione E, Gatz SA, Wasti A, Yohe M, Ignatius M, Quintarelli C, Shipley J, Miele L, Khan J, Houghton PJ, Marampon F, Gryder BE, De Angelis B, Locatelli F, Rota R. MYOD-SKP2 axis boosts tumorigenesis in fusion negative rhabdomyosarcoma by preventing differentiation through p57 Kip2 targeting. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8373. [PMID: 38102140 PMCID: PMC10724275 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44130-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcomas (RMS) are pediatric mesenchymal-derived malignancies encompassing PAX3/7-FOXO1 Fusion Positive (FP)-RMS, and Fusion Negative (FN)-RMS with frequent RAS pathway mutations. RMS express the master myogenic transcription factor MYOD that, whilst essential for survival, cannot support differentiation. Here we discover SKP2, an oncogenic E3-ubiquitin ligase, as a critical pro-tumorigenic driver in FN-RMS. We show that SKP2 is overexpressed in RMS through the binding of MYOD to an intronic enhancer. SKP2 in FN-RMS promotes cell cycle progression and prevents differentiation by directly targeting p27Kip1 and p57Kip2, respectively. SKP2 depletion unlocks a partly MYOD-dependent myogenic transcriptional program and strongly affects stemness and tumorigenic features and prevents in vivo tumor growth. These effects are mirrored by the investigational NEDDylation inhibitor MLN4924. Results demonstrate a crucial crosstalk between transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms through the MYOD-SKP2 axis that contributes to tumorigenesis in FN-RMS. Finally, NEDDylation inhibition is identified as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in FN-RMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pomella
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Cassandri
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucrezia D'Archivio
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonella Porrazzo
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Cossetti
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Doris Phelps
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Clara Perrone
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Michele Pezzella
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonella Cardinale
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Wachtel
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sara Aloisi
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - David Milewski
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH,, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Marta Colletti
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Prethish Sreenivas
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Zoë S Walters
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology, Divisions of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- School of Cancer Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Giovanni Barillari
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Angela Di Giannatale
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Maria Milano
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Rita Alaggio
- Department of Pathology Unit, Department of Laboratories, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Sonia Rodriguez-Rodriguez
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Nadia Carlesso
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | | | - Enrico Velardi
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Beat W Schafer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ernesto Guccione
- Center for Therapeutics Discovery, Department of Oncological Sciences and Pharmacological Sciences, Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susanne A Gatz
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
| | - Ajla Wasti
- Children and Young People's Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, UK
| | - Marielle Yohe
- Laboratory of Cell and Developmental Signaling, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Myron Ignatius
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Concetta Quintarelli
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Janet Shipley
- Sarcoma Molecular Pathology, Divisions of Molecular Pathology, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Lucio Miele
- Department of Genetics, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Javed Khan
- Oncogenomics Section, Genetics Branch, National Cancer Institute, NIH,, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Peter J Houghton
- Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute (GCCRI), UT Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Francesco Marampon
- Department of Radiological Oncological and Pathological Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Berkley E Gryder
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Biagio De Angelis
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Franco Locatelli
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Cell and Gene Therapy, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Roma, Italy.
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25
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Onofrj M, Russo M, Delli Pizzi S, De Gregorio D, Inserra A, Gobbi G, Sensi SL. The central role of the Thalamus in psychosis, lessons from neurodegenerative diseases and psychedelics. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:384. [PMID: 38092757 PMCID: PMC10719401 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02691-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The PD-DLB psychosis complex found in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) includes hallucinations, Somatic Symptom/Functional Disorders, and delusions. These disorders exhibit similar presentation patterns and progression. Mechanisms at the root of these symptoms also share similarities with processes promoting altered states of consciousness found in Rapid Eye Movement sleep, psychiatric disorders, or the intake of psychedelic compounds. We propose that these mechanisms find a crucial driver and trigger in the dysregulated activity of high-order thalamic nuclei set in motion by ThalamoCortical Dysrhythmia (TCD). TCD generates the loss of finely tuned cortico-cortical modulations promoted by the thalamus and unleashes the aberrant activity of the Default Mode Network (DMN). TCD moves in parallel with altered thalamic filtering of external and internal information. The process produces an input overload to the cortex, thereby exacerbating DMN decoupling from task-positive networks. These phenomena alter the brain metastability, creating dreamlike, dissociative, or altered states of consciousness. In support of this hypothesis, mind-altering psychedelic drugs also modulate thalamic-cortical pathways. Understanding the pathophysiological background of these conditions provides a conceptual bridge between neurology and psychiatry, thereby helping to generate a promising and converging area of investigation and therapeutic efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Onofrj
- Behavioral Neurology and Molecular Neurology Units, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology - CAST, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technology-ITAB University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
| | - Mirella Russo
- Behavioral Neurology and Molecular Neurology Units, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology - CAST, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technology-ITAB University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Stefano Delli Pizzi
- Behavioral Neurology and Molecular Neurology Units, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology - CAST, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technology-ITAB University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Danilo De Gregorio
- Division of Neuroscience, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Inserra
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriella Gobbi
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Stefano L Sensi
- Behavioral Neurology and Molecular Neurology Units, Center for Advanced Studies and Technology - CAST, Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technology-ITAB University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging, and Clinical Sciences, University G. d'Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
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26
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Lettieri A, Oleari R, van den Munkhof MH, van Battum EY, Verhagen MG, Tacconi C, Spreafico M, Paganoni AJJ, Azzarelli R, Andre' V, Amoruso F, Palazzolo L, Eberini I, Dunkel L, Howard SR, Fantin A, Pasterkamp RJ, Cariboni A. SEMA6A drives GnRH neuron-dependent puberty onset by tuning median eminence vascular permeability. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8097. [PMID: 38062045 PMCID: PMC10703890 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43820-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Innervation of the hypothalamic median eminence by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) neurons is vital to ensure puberty onset and successful reproduction. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying median eminence development and pubertal timing are incompletely understood. Here we show that Semaphorin-6A is strongly expressed by median eminence-resident oligodendrocytes positioned adjacent to GnRH neuron projections and fenestrated capillaries, and that Semaphorin-6A is required for GnRH neuron innervation and puberty onset. In vitro and in vivo experiments reveal an unexpected function for Semaphorin-6A, via its receptor Plexin-A2, in the control of median eminence vascular permeability to maintain neuroendocrine homeostasis. To support the significance of these findings in humans, we identify patients with delayed puberty carrying a novel pathogenic variant of SEMA6A. In all, our data reveal a role for Semaphorin-6A in regulating GnRH neuron patterning by tuning the median eminence vascular barrier and thereby controlling puberty onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Lettieri
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Via di Rudinì 8, 20142, Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Oleari
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Marleen Hester van den Munkhof
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Eljo Yvette van Battum
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke Geerte Verhagen
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- VIB-KU Leuven, Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Carlotta Tacconi
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation, and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Spreafico
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Azzarelli
- Wellcome - Medical Research Council Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Valentina Andre'
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Amoruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Palazzolo
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Ivano Eberini
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Leo Dunkel
- Centre for Endocrinology William Harvey Research Institute Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Sasha Rose Howard
- Centre for Endocrinology William Harvey Research Institute Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
- Department of Paediatric Endocrinology, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, E1 1FR, UK
| | - Alessandro Fantin
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
| | - Ronald Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 100, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Anna Cariboni
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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27
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Ottone T, Silvestrini G, Piazza R, Travaglini S, Gurnari C, Marchesi F, Nardozza AM, Fabiani E, Attardi E, Guarnera L, Divona M, Ricci P, Irno Consalvo MA, Ienzi S, Arcese R, Biagi A, Fiori L, Novello M, Mauriello A, Venditti A, Anemona L, Voso MT. Expression profiling of extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia suggests involvement of epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways. Leukemia 2023; 37:2383-2394. [PMID: 37803061 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-02054-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Extramedullary (EM) colonization is a rare complication of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), occurring in about 10% of patients, but the processes underlying tissue invasion are not entirely characterized. Through the application of RNAseq technology, we examined the transcriptome profile of 13 AMLs, 9 of whom presented an EM localization. Our analysis revealed significant deregulation within the extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction and focal-adhesion pathways, specifically in the EM sites. The transcription factor TWIST1, which is known to impact on cancer invasion by dysregulating epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) processes, was significantly upregulated in EM-AML. To test the functional impact of TWIST1 overexpression, we treated OCI-AML3s with TWIST1-siRNA or metformin, a drug known to inhibit tumor progression in cancer models. After 48 h, we showed downregulation of TWIST1, and of the EMT-related genes FN1 and SNAI2. This was associated with significant impairment of migration and invasion processes by Boyden chamber assays. Our study shed light on the molecular mechanisms associated with EM tissue invasion in AML, and on the ability of metformin to interfere with key players of this process. TWIST1 may configure as candidate marker of EM-AML progression, and inhibition of EMT-pathways may represent an innovative therapeutic intervention to prevent or treat this complication.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Ottone
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- Santa Lucia Foundation, I.R.C.C.S., Neuro-Oncohematology, Rome, Italy
| | - G Silvestrini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, PhD in Immunology, Molecular Medicine and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - R Piazza
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - S Travaglini
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - C Gurnari
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, PhD in Immunology, Molecular Medicine and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
- Translational Hematology and Oncology Research Department, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - F Marchesi
- Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - A M Nardozza
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - E Fabiani
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - E Attardi
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, PhD in Immunology, Molecular Medicine and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - L Guarnera
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - M Divona
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
- Saint Camillus International University of Health Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - P Ricci
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - M A Irno Consalvo
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - S Ienzi
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, F. Spaziani Hospital, Frosinone, Italy
| | - R Arcese
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, F. Spaziani Hospital, Frosinone, Italy
| | - A Biagi
- Hematology and Transplant Unit, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, AUSL, Latina, Italy
| | - L Fiori
- Hematology and Transplant Unit, Santa Maria Goretti Hospital, AUSL, Latina, Italy
| | - M Novello
- Pathology Department, IRCCS-Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - A Mauriello
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - A Venditti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - L Anemona
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - M T Voso
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, PhD in Immunology, Molecular Medicine and Applied Biotechnology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
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28
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Ronchi D, Garbellini M, Magri F, Menni F, Meneri M, Bedeschi MF, Dilena R, Cecchetti V, Picciolli I, Furlan F, Polimeni V, Salani S, Pezzoli L, Fortunato F, Bellini M, Piga D, Ripolone M, Zanotti S, Napoli L, Ciscato P, Sciacco M, Mangili G, Mosca F, Corti S, Iascone M, Comi GP. A biallelic variant in COX18 cause isolated Complex IV deficiency associated with neonatal encephalo-cardio-myopathy and axonal sensory neuropathy. Eur J Hum Genet 2023; 31:1414-1420. [PMID: 37468577 PMCID: PMC10689781 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-023-01433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants impacting upon assembly of mitochondrial respiratory chain Complex IV (Cytochrome c Oxidase or COX) predominantly result in early onset mitochondrial disorders often leading to CNS, skeletal and cardiac muscle manifestations. The aim of this study is to describe a molecular defect in the COX assembly factor gene COX18 as the likely cause of a neonatal form of mitochondrial encephalo-cardio-myopathy and axonal sensory neuropathy. The proband is a 19-months old female displaying hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at birth and myopathy with axonal sensory neuropathy and failure to thrive developing in the first months of life. Serum lactate was consistently increased. Whole exome sequencing allowed the prioritization of the unreported homozygous substitution NM_001297732.2:c.667 G > C p.(Asp223His) in COX18. Patient's muscle biopsy revealed severe and diffuse COX deficiency and striking mitochondrial abnormalities. Biochemical and enzymatic studies in patient's myoblasts and in HEK293 cells after COX18 silencing showed a severe impairment of both COX activity and assembly. The biochemical defect was partially rescued by delivery of wild-type COX18 cDNA into patient's myoblasts. Our study identifies a novel defect of COX assembly and expands the number of nuclear genes involved in a mitochondrial disorder due to isolated COX deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Ronchi
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Garbellini
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Magri
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Menni
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Regional Clinical Center for expanded newborn screening, Milan, Italy
| | - Megi Meneri
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Robertino Dilena
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, UO Neurofisiopatologia, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Cecchetti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Irene Picciolli
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Furlan
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Regional Clinical Center for expanded newborn screening, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Polimeni
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabrina Salani
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Pezzoli
- ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Laboratorio di Genetica Medica, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Francesco Fortunato
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Bellini
- ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Laboratorio di Genetica Medica, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Daniela Piga
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Ripolone
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Zanotti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Napoli
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Ciscato
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Sciacco
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Unit, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Mosca
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Disease Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Iascone
- ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII, Laboratorio di Genetica Medica, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Dino Ferrari Center, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy.
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29
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Gobbi G, Grieco A, Torricelli F, Sauta E, Santandrea G, Zanetti E, Fantini V, Reggiani F, Strocchi S, Paci M, Vohra M, Saladi SV, Ambrosetti DC, Ciarrocchi A, Sancisi V. The long non-coding RNA TAZ-AS202 promotes lung cancer progression via regulation of the E2F1 transcription factor and activation of Ephrin signaling. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:752. [PMID: 37980331 PMCID: PMC10657417 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06277-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023]
Abstract
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts without coding potential that are pervasively expressed from the genome and have been increasingly reported to play crucial roles in all aspects of cell biology. They have been also heavily implicated in cancer development and progression, with both oncogenic and tumor suppressor functions. In this work, we identified and characterized a novel lncRNA, TAZ-AS202, expressed from the TAZ genomic locus and exerting pro-oncogenic functions in non-small cell lung cancer. TAZ-AS202 expression is under the control of YAP/TAZ-containing transcriptional complexes. We demonstrated that TAZ-AS202 is overexpressed in lung cancer tissue, compared with surrounding lung epithelium. In lung cancer cell lines TAZ-AS202 promotes cell migration and cell invasion. TAZ-AS202 regulates the expression of a set of genes belonging to cancer-associated pathways, including WNT and EPH-Ephrin signaling. The molecular mechanism underlying TAZ-AS202 function does not involve change of TAZ expression or activity, but increases the protein level of the transcription factor E2F1, which in turn regulates the expression of a large set of target genes, including the EPHB2 receptor. Notably, the silencing of both E2F1 and EPHB2 recapitulates TAZ-AS202 silencing cellular phenotype, indicating that they are essential mediators of its activity. Overall, this work unveiled a new regulatory mechanism that, by increasing E2F1 protein, modifies the non-small cell lung cancer cells transcriptional program, leading to enhanced aggressiveness features. The TAZ-AS202/E2F1/EPHB2 axis may be the target for new therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Gobbi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Grieco
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Federica Torricelli
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | | | - Giacomo Santandrea
- Pathology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Eleonora Zanetti
- Pathology Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Valentina Fantini
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Francesca Reggiani
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Silvia Strocchi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Paci
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Manik Vohra
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Srinivas Vinod Saladi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | | | - Alessia Ciarrocchi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Valentina Sancisi
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
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30
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Federico G, Osiurak F, Ciccarelli G, Ilardi CR, Cavaliere C, Tramontano L, Alfano V, Migliaccio M, Di Cecca A, Salvatore M, Brandimonte MA. On the functional brain networks involved in tool-related action understanding. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1163. [PMID: 37964121 PMCID: PMC10645930 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05518-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tool-use skills represent a significant cognitive leap in human evolution, playing a crucial role in the emergence of complex technologies. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying such capabilities are still debated. Here we explore with fMRI the functional brain networks involved in tool-related action understanding. Participants viewed images depicting action-consistent (e.g., nail-hammer) and action-inconsistent (e.g., scarf-hammer) object-tool pairs, under three conditions: semantic (recognizing the tools previously seen in the pairs), mechanical (assessing the usability of the pairs), and control (looking at the pairs without explicit tasks). During the observation of the pairs, task-based left-brain functional connectivity differed within conditions. Compared to the control, both the semantic and mechanical conditions exhibited co-activations in dorsal (precuneus) and ventro-dorsal (inferior frontal gyrus) regions. However, the semantic condition recruited medial and posterior temporal areas, whereas the mechanical condition engaged inferior parietal and posterior temporal regions. Also, when distinguishing action-consistent from action-inconsistent pairs, an extensive frontotemporal neural circuit was activated. These findings support recent accounts that view tool-related action understanding as the combined product of semantic and mechanical knowledge. Furthermore, they emphasize how the left inferior parietal and anterior temporal lobes might be considered as hubs for the cross-modal integration of physical and conceptual knowledge, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - François Osiurak
- Laboratoire d'Etude des Mécanismes Cognitifs (EA 3082), Université de Lyon, Bron, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
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31
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Valsecchi V, Errico F, Bassareo V, Marino C, Nuzzo T, Brancaccio P, Laudati G, Casamassa A, Grimaldi M, D'Amico A, Carta M, Bertini E, Pignataro G, D'Ursi AM, Usiello A. SMN deficiency perturbs monoamine neurotransmitter metabolism in spinal muscular atrophy. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1155. [PMID: 37957344 PMCID: PMC10643621 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05543-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Beyond motor neuron degeneration, homozygous mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene cause multiorgan and metabolic defects in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). However, the precise biochemical features of these alterations and the age of onset in the brain and peripheral organs remain unclear. Using untargeted NMR-based metabolomics in SMA mice, we identify cerebral and hepatic abnormalities related to energy homeostasis pathways and amino acid metabolism, emerging already at postnatal day 3 (P3) in the liver. Through HPLC, we find that SMN deficiency induces a drop in cerebral norepinephrine levels in overt symptomatic SMA mice at P11, affecting the mRNA and protein expression of key genes regulating monoamine metabolism, including aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DβH) and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). In support of the translational value of our preclinical observations, we also discovered that SMN upregulation increases cerebrospinal fluid norepinephrine concentration in Nusinersen-treated SMA1 patients. Our findings highlight a previously unrecognized harmful influence of low SMN levels on the expression of critical enzymes involved in monoamine metabolism, suggesting that SMN-inducing therapies may modulate catecholamine neurotransmission. These results may also be relevant for setting therapeutic approaches to counteract peripheral metabolic defects in SMA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Valsecchi
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Dentistry Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Errico
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", 80055, Portici, Italy
- Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, 80145, Naples, Italy
| | - Valentina Bassareo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Carmen Marino
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Tommaso Nuzzo
- Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, 80145, Naples, Italy
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technologies, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Paola Brancaccio
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Dentistry Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Giusy Laudati
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Dentistry Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Manuela Grimaldi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Adele D'Amico
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, 00163, Rome, Italy
| | - Manolo Carta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, Italy
| | - Enrico Bertini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, 00163, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pignataro
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Dentistry Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Naples "Federico II", 80131, Naples, Italy
| | - Anna Maria D'Ursi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, 84084, Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Alessandro Usiello
- Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Ceinge Biotecnologie Avanzate, 80145, Naples, Italy.
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technologies, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", 81100, Caserta, Italy.
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Medda A, Compagnoni M, Spini G, Citro S, Croci O, Campaner S, Tagliabue M, Ansarin M, Chiocca S. c-MYC-dependent transcriptional inhibition of autophagy is implicated in cisplatin sensitivity in HPV-positive head and neck cancer. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:719. [PMID: 37925449 PMCID: PMC10625625 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy is important for the removal, degradation and recycling of damaged organelles, proteins, and lipids through the degradative action of lysosomes. In addition to its catabolic function, autophagy is important in cancer and viral-mediated tumorigenesis, including Human Papillomavirus (HPV) positive cancers. HPV infection is a major risk factor in a subset of head and neck cancer (HNC), for which no targeted therapies are currently available. Herein, we assessed autophagy function in HPV-positive HNC. We showed that HPV-positive HNC cells presented a transcriptional and functional impairment of the autophagic process compared to HPV-negative cells, which were reactivated by knocking down HPV E6/E7 oncoproteins, the drivers of cellular transformation. We found that the oncoprotein c-MYC was stabilized and triggered in HPV-positive cell lines. This resulted in the reduced binding of the MiT/TFE transcription factors to their autophagy targets due to c-MYC competition. Thus, the knock-down of c-MYC induced the upregulation of autophagic and lysosomal genes in HPV-positive HNC cells, as well as the increase of autophagic markers at the protein level. Moreover, HPV oncoprotein E7 upregulated the expression of the phosphatase inhibitor CIP2A, accounting for c-MYC upregulation and stability in HPV+ HNC cells. CIP2A mRNA expression negatively correlated with autophagy gene expression in tumor tissues from HNC patients, showing, for the first time, its implication in a transcriptional autophagic context. Both CIP2A and c-MYC knock-down, as well as pharmacological downregulation of c-MYC, resulted in increased resistance to cisplatin treatment. Our results not only show a novel way by which HPV oncoproteins manipulate the host machinery but also provide more insights into the role of autophagy in chemoresistance, with possible implications for targeted HPV-positive HNC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Medda
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, IEO Campus, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Micaela Compagnoni
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, IEO Campus, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Spini
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, IEO Campus, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Citro
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, IEO Campus, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Ottavio Croci
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT, CGS@SEMM (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia at European School of Molecular Medicine), Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Campaner
- Center for Genomic Science of IIT, CGS@SEMM (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia at European School of Molecular Medicine), Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Tagliabue
- Division of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Mohssen Ansarin
- Division of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Susanna Chiocca
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, IEO Campus, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy.
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33
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Khalifa A, Guijarro A, Ravera S, Bertola N, Adorni MP, Papotti B, Raffaghello L, Benelli R, Becherini P, Namatalla A, Verzola D, Reverberi D, Monacelli F, Cea M, Pisciotta L, Bernini F, Caffa I, Nencioni A. Cyclic fasting bolsters cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors' anticancer activity. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6951. [PMID: 37907500 PMCID: PMC10618279 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42652-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying oncological applications for drugs that are already approved for other medical indications is considered a possible solution for the increasing costs of cancer treatment. Under the hypothesis that nutritional stress through fasting might enhance the antitumour properties of at least some non-oncological agents, by screening drug libraries, we find that cholesterol biosynthesis inhibitors (CBIs), including simvastatin, have increased activity against cancers of different histology under fasting conditions. We show fasting's ability to increase CBIs' antitumour effects to depend on the reduction in circulating insulin, insulin-like growth factor-1 and leptin, which blunts the expression of enzymes from the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway and enhances cholesterol efflux from cancer cells. Ultimately, low cholesterol levels through combined fasting and CBIs reduce AKT and STAT3 activity, oxidative phosphorylation and energy stores in the tumour. Our results support further studies of CBIs in combination with fasting-based dietary regimens in cancer treatment and highlight the value of fasting for drug repurposing in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr Khalifa
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Ana Guijarro
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Ravera
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Via Leon Battista Alberti 2, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Nadia Bertola
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Via Leon Battista Alberti 2, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Adorni
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, 43125, Parma, Italy
| | - Bianca Papotti
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Lizzia Raffaghello
- Center of Translational and Experimental Myology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Roberto Benelli
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Pamela Becherini
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Asmaa Namatalla
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniela Verzola
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniele Reverberi
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Fiammetta Monacelli
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Michele Cea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Livia Pisciotta
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy
| | - Franco Bernini
- Department of Food and Drug, University of Parma, 43124, Parma, Italy
| | - Irene Caffa
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
| | - Alessio Nencioni
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV 6, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
- Ospedale Policlinico San Martino IRCCS, Largo Rosanna Benzi 10, 16132, Genoa, Italy.
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Muccioli S, Brillo V, Varanita T, Rossin F, Zaltron E, Velle A, Alessio G, Angi B, Severin F, Tosi A, D'Eletto M, Occhigrossi L, Falasca L, Checchetto V, Ciaccio R, Fascì A, Chieregato L, Rebelo AP, Giacomello M, Rosato A, Szabò I, Romualdi C, Piacentini M, Leanza L. Transglutaminase Type 2-MITF axis regulates phenotype switching in skin cutaneous melanoma. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:704. [PMID: 37898636 PMCID: PMC10613311 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06223-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the deadliest form of skin cancer due to its high heterogeneity that drives tumor aggressiveness. Melanoma plasticity consists of two distinct phenotypic states that co-exist in the tumor niche, the proliferative and the invasive, respectively associated with a high and low expression of MITF, the master regulator of melanocyte lineage. However, despite efforts, melanoma research is still far from exhaustively dissecting this phenomenon. Here, we discovered a key function of Transglutaminase Type-2 (TG2) in regulating melanogenesis by modulating MITF transcription factor expression and its transcriptional activity. Importantly, we demonstrated that TG2 expression affects melanoma invasiveness, highlighting its positive value in SKCM. These results suggest that TG2 may have implications in the regulation of the phenotype switching by promoting melanoma differentiation and impairing its metastatic potential. Our findings offer potential perspectives to unravel melanoma vulnerabilities via tuning intra-tumor heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Muccioli
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Laboratory of Translational Research, Azienda USL - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | | | | | - Federica Rossin
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | | | - Angelo Velle
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Beatrice Angi
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Anna Tosi
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Manuela D'Eletto
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Occhigrossi
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Falasca
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Amelia Fascì
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Antonio Rosato
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy
- Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology (DiSCOG), University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Ildikò Szabò
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Mauro Piacentini
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS "Lazzaro Spallanzani", Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Leanza
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
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Tombari C, Zannini A, Bertolio R, Pedretti S, Audano M, Triboli L, Cancila V, Vacca D, Caputo M, Donzelli S, Segatto I, Vodret S, Piazza S, Rustighi A, Mantovani F, Belletti B, Baldassarre G, Blandino G, Tripodo C, Bicciato S, Mitro N, Del Sal G. Mutant p53 sustains serine-glycine synthesis and essential amino acids intake promoting breast cancer growth. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6777. [PMID: 37880212 PMCID: PMC10600207 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42458-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Reprogramming of amino acid metabolism, sustained by oncogenic signaling, is crucial for cancer cell survival under nutrient limitation. Here we discovered that missense mutant p53 oncoproteins stimulate de novo serine/glycine synthesis and essential amino acids intake, promoting breast cancer growth. Mechanistically, mutant p53, unlike the wild-type counterpart, induces the expression of serine-synthesis-pathway enzymes and L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1)/CD98 heavy chain heterodimer. This effect is exacerbated by amino acid shortage, representing a mutant p53-dependent metabolic adaptive response. When cells suffer amino acids scarcity, mutant p53 protein is stabilized and induces metabolic alterations and an amino acid transcriptional program that sustain cancer cell proliferation. In patient-derived tumor organoids, pharmacological targeting of either serine-synthesis-pathway and LAT1-mediated transport synergizes with amino acid shortage in blunting mutant p53-dependent growth. These findings reveal vulnerabilities potentially exploitable for tackling breast tumors bearing missense TP53 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Tombari
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zannini
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Rebecca Bertolio
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvia Pedretti
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Audano
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Triboli
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Valeria Cancila
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Davide Vacca
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
| | - Manuel Caputo
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Sara Donzelli
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Ilenia Segatto
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Simone Vodret
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Silvano Piazza
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandra Rustighi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy
| | - Fiamma Mantovani
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy
| | - Barbara Belletti
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Gustavo Baldassarre
- Unit of Molecular Oncology, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO), IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, 33081, Aviano, Italy
| | - Giovanni Blandino
- Translational Oncology Research Unit, IRCCS Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Tripodo
- Tumor Immunology Unit, Department of Health Science, Human Pathology Section, School of Medicine, University of Palermo, 90133, Palermo, Italy
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvio Bicciato
- Center for Genome Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- DiSFeB, Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Giannino Del Sal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127, Trieste, Italy.
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB), Area Science Park-Padriciano, 34149, Trieste, Italy.
- IFOM ETS, the AIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, Milan, Italy.
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Petraroia I, Ghidotti P, Bertolini G, Pontis F, Roz L, Balsamo M, Suatoni P, Pastorino U, Ferretti AM, Sozzi G, Fortunato O. Extracellular vesicles from subjects with COPD modulate cancer initiating cells phenotype through HIF-1α shuttling. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:681. [PMID: 37838700 PMCID: PMC10576796 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06212-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a risk factor for lung cancer development. COPD induces activation of hypoxia-induced signaling, causing remodeling of surrounding microenvironmental cells also modulating the release and cargo of their extracellular vesicles (EVs). We aimed to evaluate the potential role of circulating EVs from COPD subjects in lung cancer onset. Plasma-EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation from heavy smoker volunteers with (COPD-EVs) or without (heavy smoker-EVs, HS-EV) COPD and characterized following MISEV guidelines. Immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells (CDK4, hTERT-HBEC3-KT), genetically modified with different oncogenic alterations commonly found in lung cancer (sh-p53, KRASV12), were used to test plasma-EVs pro-tumorigenic activity in vitro. COPD-EVs mainly derived from immune and endothelial cells. COPD-EVs selectively increased the subset of CD133+CXCR4+ metastasis initiating cells (MICs) in HBEC-sh-p53-KRASV12high cells and stimulated 3D growth, migration/invasion, and acquisition of mesenchymal traits. These effects were not observed in HBEC cells bearing single oncogenic mutation (sh-p53 or KRASV12). Mechanistically, hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) transferred from COPD-EVs triggers CXCR4 pathway activation that in turn mediates MICs expansion and acquisition of pro-tumorigenic effects. Indeed, HIF-1α inhibition or CXCR4 silencing prevented the acquisition of malignant traits induced by COPD-EVs alone. Hypoxia recapitulates the effects observed with COPD-EVs in HBEC-sh-p53-KRASV12high cells. Notably, higher levels of HIF-1α were observed in EVs from COPD subjects who subsequently developed cancer compared to those who remained cancer-free. Our findings support a role of COPD-EVs to promote the expansion of MICs in premalignant epithelial cells through HIF-1α-CXCR4 axis activation thereby potentially sustaining lung cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Petraroia
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Patrizia Ghidotti
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Bertolini
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy.
| | - Francesca Pontis
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Luca Roz
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Melissa Balsamo
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Suatoni
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Ugo Pastorino
- Thoracic Surgery Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Sozzi
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
| | - Orazio Fortunato
- Epigenomics and biomarkers of solid tumors, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milano, Italy
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Schiavi A, Cirotti C, Gerber LS, Di Lauro G, Maglioni S, Shibao PYT, Montresor S, Kirstein J, Petzsch P, Köhrer K, Schins RPF, Wahle T, Barilà D, Ventura N. Abl depletion via autophagy mediates the beneficial effects of quercetin against Alzheimer pathology across species. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:376. [PMID: 37838776 PMCID: PMC10576830 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01592-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is the most common age-associated neurodegenerative disorder and the most frequent form of dementia in our society. Aging is a complex biological process concurrently shaped by genetic, dietary and environmental factors and natural compounds are emerging for their beneficial effects against age-related disorders. Besides their antioxidant activity often described in simple model organisms, the molecular mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of different dietary compounds remain however largely unknown. In the present study, we exploit the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as a widely established model for aging studies, to test the effects of different natural compounds in vivo and focused on mechanistic aspects of one of them, quercetin, using complementary systems and assays. We show that quercetin has evolutionarily conserved beneficial effects against Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology: it prevents Amyloid beta (Aβ)-induced detrimental effects in different C. elegans AD models and it reduces Aβ-secretion in mammalian cells. Mechanistically, we found that the beneficial effects of quercetin are mediated by autophagy-dependent reduced expression of Abl tyrosine kinase. In turn, autophagy is required upon Abl suppression to mediate quercetin's protective effects against Aβ toxicity. Our data support the power of C. elegans as an in vivo model to investigate therapeutic options for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Schiavi
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Claudia Cirotti
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, IRCCS-Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Lora-Sophie Gerber
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Giulia Di Lauro
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Silvia Maglioni
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Priscila Yumi Tanaka Shibao
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Janine Kirstein
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Leibniz Institute on Aging, Fritz Lipmann Institute, Jena, Germany
| | - Patrick Petzsch
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostic, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Karl Köhrer
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Diagnostic, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Roel P F Schins
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Tina Wahle
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Daniela Barilà
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133, Rome, Italy
- Laboratory of Cell Signaling, IRCCS-Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00179, Rome, Italy
| | - Natascia Ventura
- Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF), 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Biological and Medical Research Center (BMFZ), Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225, Duesseldorf, Germany.
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38
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Cherubini A, Ostadreza M, Jamialahmadi O, Pelusi S, Rrapaj E, Casirati E, Passignani G, Norouziesfahani M, Sinopoli E, Baselli G, Meda C, Dongiovanni P, Dondossola D, Youngson N, Tourna A, Chokshi S, Bugianesi E, Della Torre S, Prati D, Romeo S, Valenti L. Interaction between estrogen receptor-α and PNPLA3 p.I148M variant drives fatty liver disease susceptibility in women. Nat Med 2023; 29:2643-2655. [PMID: 37749332 PMCID: PMC10579099 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02553-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Fatty liver disease (FLD) caused by metabolic dysfunction is the leading cause of liver disease and the prevalence is rising, especially in women. Although during reproductive age women are protected against FLD, for still unknown and understudied reasons some develop rapidly progressive disease at the menopause. The patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing 3 (PNPLA3) p.I148M variant accounts for the largest fraction of inherited FLD variability. In the present study, we show that there is a specific multiplicative interaction between female sex and PNPLA3 p.I148M in determining FLD in at-risk individuals (steatosis and fibrosis, P < 10-10; advanced fibrosis/hepatocellular carcinoma, P = 0.034) and in the general population (P < 10-7 for alanine transaminase levels). In individuals with obesity, hepatic PNPLA3 expression was higher in women than in men (P = 0.007) and in mice correlated with estrogen levels. In human hepatocytes and liver organoids, PNPLA3 was induced by estrogen receptor-α (ER-α) agonists. By chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays, we identified and characterized an ER-α-binding site within a PNPLA3 enhancer and demonstrated via CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing that this sequence drives PNPLA3 p.I148M upregulation, leading to lipid droplet accumulation and fibrogenesis in three-dimensional multilineage spheroids with stellate cells. These data suggest that a functional interaction between ER-α and PNPLA3 p.I148M variant contributes to FLD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cherubini
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Mahnoosh Ostadreza
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Oveis Jamialahmadi
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Serena Pelusi
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Eniada Rrapaj
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elia Casirati
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Passignani
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Marjan Norouziesfahani
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Sinopoli
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Guido Baselli
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Clara Meda
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Dongiovanni
- Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Dondossola
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- General and Liver Transplant Surgery, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico and University of Milan, Centre of Preclinical Research, Milan, Italy
| | - Neil Youngson
- Foundation for Liver Research, The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Aikaterini Tourna
- Foundation for Liver Research, The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, London, UK
| | - Shilpa Chokshi
- Foundation for Liver Research, The Roger Williams Institute of Hepatology, London, UK
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Elisabetta Bugianesi
- Department of Medical Sciences, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Della Torre
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Prati
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Romeo
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Cardiology Department, Sahlgrenska Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Medical and Surgical Science, Magna Græcia University, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Luca Valenti
- Precision Medicine-Biological Resource Center and Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
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Banaj N, Vecchio D, Piras F, De Rossi P, Bustillo J, Ciufolini S, Dazzan P, Di Forti M, Dickie EW, Ford JM, Fuentes-Claramonte P, Gruber O, Guerrero-Pedraza A, Hamilton HK, Howells FM, Kraemer B, Lawrie SM, Mathalon DH, Murray R, Pomarol-Clotet E, Potkin SG, Preda A, Radua J, Richter A, Salvador R, Sawa A, Scheffler F, Sim K, Spaniel F, Stein DJ, Temmingh HS, Thomopoulos SI, Tomecek D, Uhlmann A, Voineskos A, Yang K, Jahanshad N, Thompson PM, Van Erp TGM, Turner JA, Spalletta G, Piras F. Cortical morphology in patients with the deficit and non-deficit syndrome of schizophrenia: a worldwide meta- and mega-analyses. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4363-4373. [PMID: 37644174 PMCID: PMC10827665 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02221-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Converging evidence suggests that schizophrenia (SZ) with primary, enduring negative symptoms (i.e., Deficit SZ (DSZ)) represents a distinct entity within the SZ spectrum while the neurobiological underpinnings remain undetermined. In the largest dataset of DSZ and Non-Deficit (NDSZ), we conducted a meta-analysis of data from 1560 individuals (168 DSZ, 373 NDSZ, 1019 Healthy Controls (HC)) and a mega-analysis of a subsampled data from 944 individuals (115 DSZ, 254 NDSZ, 575 HC) collected across 9 worldwide research centers of the ENIGMA SZ Working Group (8 in the mega-analysis), to clarify whether they differ in terms of cortical morphology. In the meta-analysis, sites computed effect sizes for differences in cortical thickness and surface area between SZ and control groups using a harmonized pipeline. In the mega-analysis, cortical values of individuals with schizophrenia and control participants were analyzed across sites using mixed-model ANCOVAs. The meta-analysis of cortical thickness showed a converging pattern of widespread thinner cortex in fronto-parietal regions of the left hemisphere in both DSZ and NDSZ, when compared to HC. However, DSZ have more pronounced thickness abnormalities than NDSZ, mostly involving the right fronto-parietal cortices. As for surface area, NDSZ showed differences in fronto-parietal-temporo-occipital cortices as compared to HC, and in temporo-occipital cortices as compared to DSZ. Although DSZ and NDSZ show widespread overlapping regions of thinner cortex as compared to HC, cortical thinning seems to better typify DSZ, being more extensive and bilateral, while surface area alterations are more evident in NDSZ. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that DSZ and NDSZ are characterized by different neuroimaging phenotypes, supporting a nosological distinction between DSZ and NDSZ and point toward the separate disease hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerisa Banaj
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
| | - Daniela Vecchio
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Piras
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro De Rossi
- Child and Adolescence Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Juan Bustillo
- Psichiatry and Neuroscience, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Simone Ciufolini
- Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Marta Di Forti
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Erin W Dickie
- Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Kimel Family Lab, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Judith M Ford
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Paola Fuentes-Claramonte
- FIMDAG Sisters Hospitallers Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Oliver Gruber
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | | | - Holly K Hamilton
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Fleur M Howells
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Bernd Kraemer
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Stephen M Lawrie
- Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburg, EH10 5HF, UK
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Robin Murray
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neurology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Edith Pomarol-Clotet
- FIMDAG Sisters Hospitallers Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Steven G Potkin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California Irvine, Newfoundland, NJ, NJ 07435, USA
| | - Adrian Preda
- Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Orange, CA, 92868, USA
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Biomedical Network Research Centre on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Imaging of mood- and anxiety-related disorders (IMARD), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, 08036, Spain
- Medicina, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
| | - Anja Richter
- Section for Experimental Psychopathology and Neuroimaging, Department of General Psychiatry, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany
| | - Raymond Salvador
- FIMDAG Sisters Hospitallers Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Freda Scheffler
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Brain Behavior Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kang Sim
- West Region, Institute of Mental Health, National Healthcare Group, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Filip Spaniel
- CARE, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Dan J Stein
- SAMRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Henk S Temmingh
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital, Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
| | - Sophia I Thomopoulos
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - David Tomecek
- CARE, National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Anne Uhlmann
- Department of child and adolescent psychiatry, TU Dresden, Dresden, Saxony, Germany
| | - Aristotle Voineskos
- Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Theo G M Van Erp
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Gianfranco Spalletta
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Federica Piras
- Neuropsychiatry Laboratory, Department of Clinical Neuroscience and Neurorehabilitation, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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Carpanese D, Dalla Pietà A, Rosato A. Hyaluronan as an immunological adjuvant: a novel application for an ancient molecule. Cell Mol Immunol 2023; 20:1251-1253. [PMID: 37198401 PMCID: PMC10189204 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01024-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- D Carpanese
- Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy
| | - A Dalla Pietà
- University of Padua, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Padova, Italy
| | - A Rosato
- Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy.
- University of Padua, Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Padova, Italy.
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41
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A gene-by-sex interaction contributes to liver disease susceptibility in women. Nat Med 2023; 29:2422-3. [PMID: 37783972 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02558-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
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Scavo MP, Negro R, Arrè V, Depalo N, Carrieri L, Rizzi F, Mastrogiacomo R, Serino G, Notarnicola M, De Nunzio V, Lippolis T, Pesole PL, Coletta S, Armentano R, Curri ML, Giannelli G. The oleic/palmitic acid imbalance in exosomes isolated from NAFLD patients induces necroptosis of liver cells via the elongase-6/RIP-1 pathway. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:635. [PMID: 37752143 PMCID: PMC10522611 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06161-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Excessive toxic lipid accumulation in hepatocytes underlies the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), phenotypically characterized by necrosis and steato-fibrosis, whose molecular mechanism is not yet fully understood. Patients with NAFLD display an imbalanced palmitic (PA) to oleic acid (OA) ratio. Moreover, increasing experimental evidence points out a relevant involvement of the exosomal content in disease progression. Aim of the study was to highlight the PA/OA imbalance within circulating exosomes, the subsequent intracellular alterations, and the impact on NALFD. Liver cells were challenged with exosomes isolated from both healthy subjects and NAFLD patients. The exosomal PA/OA ratio was artificially modified, and biological effects were evaluated. A NAFLD-derived exosomal PA/OA imbalance impacts liver cell cycle and cell viability. OA-modified NAFLD-derived exosomes restored cellular viability and proliferation, whereas the inclusion of PA into healthy subjects-derived exosomes negatively affected cell viability. Moreover, while OA reduced the phosphorylation and activation of the necroptosis marker, Receptor-interacting protein 1 (phospho-RIP-1), PA induced the opposite outcome, alongside increased levels of stress fibers, such as vimentin and fibronectin. Administration of NAFLD-derived exosomes led to increased expression of Elongase 6 (ELOVL6), Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1), Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Mixed-lineage-kinase-domain-like-protein (MLKL) and RIP-1 in the hepatocytes, comparable to mRNA levels in the hepatocytes of NAFLD patients reported in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Genetic and pharmacological abrogation of ELOVL6 elicited a reduced expression of downstream molecules TNF-α, phospho-RIP-1, and phospho-MLKL upon administration of NAFLD-derived exosomes. Lastly, mice fed with high-fat diet exhibited higher phospho-RIP-1 than mice fed with control diet. Targeting the Elongase 6-RIP-1 signaling pathway offers a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of the NALFD-induced exosomal PA/OA imbalance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Principia Scavo
- Personalized Medicine Laboratory, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy.
| | - Roberto Negro
- Personalized Medicine Laboratory, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy.
| | - Valentina Arrè
- Personalized Medicine Laboratory, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Depalo
- Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (IPCF)-CNR SS Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Livianna Carrieri
- Personalized Medicine Laboratory, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Federica Rizzi
- Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (IPCF)-CNR SS Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Rita Mastrogiacomo
- Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (IPCF)-CNR SS Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Grazia Serino
- Experimental Immunopathology Laboratory, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis" IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Notarnicola
- Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Valentina De Nunzio
- Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Tamara Lippolis
- Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis", IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Pasqua Letizia Pesole
- Department of Pathology, "S. de Bellis" IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Sergio Coletta
- Department of Pathology, "S. de Bellis" IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Raffaele Armentano
- Department of Pathology, "S. de Bellis" IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
| | - Maria Lucia Curri
- Institute for Chemical-Physical Processes (IPCF)-CNR SS Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, Via Orabona 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluigi Giannelli
- Scientific Direction, National Institute of Gastroenterology "S. de Bellis" IRCCS Research Hospital, Via Turi 27, Castellana Grotte, 70013, Bari, Italy
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Cirillo F, Talia M, Santolla MF, Pellegrino M, Scordamaglia D, Spinelli A, De Rosis S, Giordano F, Muglia L, Zicarelli A, Di Dio M, Rigiracciolo DC, Miglietta AM, Filippelli G, De Francesco EM, Belfiore A, Lappano R, Maggiolini M. GPER deletion triggers inhibitory effects in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells through the JNK/c-Jun/p53/Noxa transduction pathway. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:353. [PMID: 37749101 PMCID: PMC10520078 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01654-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) mediates estrogen action in different pathophysiological conditions, including cancer. GPER expression and signaling have been found to join in the progression of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), even though controversial data have been reported. In present study, we aimed at providing new mechanistic and biological discoveries knocking out (KO) GPER expression by CRISPR/Cas9 technology in MDA-MB-231 TNBC cells. GPER KO whole transcriptome respect to wild type (WT) MDA-MB-231 cells was determined through total RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. We ascertained that anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic gene signatures characterize GPER KO MDA-MB-231 cells. Thereafter, we determined that these cells exhibit a reduced proliferative, clonogenic and self-renewal potential along with an increased mitochondria-dependent apoptosis phenotype. In addition, we recognized that decreased cAMP levels trigger the JNK/c-Jun/p53/Noxa axis, which in turn orchestrates the pro-apoptotic effects observed in GPER KO cells. In accordance with these data, survival analyses in TNBC patients of the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) dataset indicated that high Noxa expression correlates with improved outcomes in TNBC patients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that GPER KO in TNBC cells impairs the expression and secretion of the well-acknowledged GPER target gene named CTGF, thus resulting in the inhibition of migratory effects in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Overall, the present study provides novel mechanistic and biological insights on GPER KO in TNBC cells suggesting that GPER may be considered as a valuable target in comprehensive therapeutic approaches halting TNBC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Cirillo
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Marianna Talia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Maria Francesca Santolla
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Michele Pellegrino
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Domenica Scordamaglia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Asia Spinelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Salvatore De Rosis
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Francesca Giordano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Lucia Muglia
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Azzurra Zicarelli
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Marika Di Dio
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy
| | - Damiano Cosimo Rigiracciolo
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Via Adamello 16, 20139, Milano, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Miglietta
- Breast and General Surgery Unit, Regional Hospital Cosenza, 87100, Cosenza, Italy
| | | | - Ernestina Marianna De Francesco
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, 95122, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonino Belfiore
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Garibaldi-Nesima Hospital, 95122, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosamaria Lappano
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy.
| | - Marcello Maggiolini
- Department of Pharmacy, Health and Nutritional Sciences, University of Calabria, 87036, Rende, Italy.
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D'Anna G, Zarbo C, Cardamone G, Zamparini M, Calza S, Rota M, Correll CU, Rocchetti M, Starace F, de Girolamo G. Interplay between negative symptoms, time spent doing nothing, and negative emotions in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: results from a 37-site study. Schizophrenia (Heidelb) 2023; 9:63. [PMID: 37735175 PMCID: PMC10514038 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-023-00372-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the relationship between negative symptoms, daily time use (productive/non-productive activities, PA/NPA), and negative emotions in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSDs): 618 individuals with SSDs (311 residential care patients [RCPs], 307 outpatients) were surveyed about socio-demographic, clinical (BPRS, BNSS) and daily time use (paper-and-pencil Time Use Survey completed twice/week) characteristics. Among them 57 RCPs and 46 outpatients, matched to 112 healthy controls, also underwent ecological monitoring of emotions (8 times/day for a week) through Experience Sampling Method (ESM). RCPs spent significantly less time in PA than outpatients. Patients with more negative symptomatology spent more time in NPA and less in PA compared to patients with milder symptoms. Higher time spent in NPA was associated with negative emotions (p < 0.001 during workdays) even when correcting for BNSS total and antipsychotic polypharmacy (p = 0.002 for workdays, p = 0.006 for Sundays). Future studies are needed to explore in more detail the relationship between negative emotions, negative symptoms, time use, and functioning in individuals with SSDs, providing opportunities for more informed and personalised clinical treatment planning and research into interactions between different motivational, saliency and behavioural aspects in individuals with SSDs.
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Grants
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
- RF-2018-12365514 Ministero della Salute (Ministry of Health, Italy)
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio D'Anna
- Department of Mental Health, AUSL Toscana Centro, Prato, Italy
| | - Cristina Zarbo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Manuel Zamparini
- Unit of Epidemiological and Evaluation Psychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Calza
- Unit of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Matteo Rota
- Unit of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Christoph U Correll
- Department of Psychiatry, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Molecular Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Hempstead, NY, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Matteo Rocchetti
- Department of Mental Health and Dependence, ASST of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Starace
- Department of Mental Health and Pathological Addiction, AUSL di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanni de Girolamo
- Unit of Epidemiological and Evaluation Psychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
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45
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Romagnoli A, Di Rienzo M, Petruccioli E, Fusco C, Palucci I, Micale L, Mazza T, Delogu G, Merla G, Goletti D, Piacentini M, Fimia GM. The ubiquitin ligase TRIM32 promotes the autophagic response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in macrophages. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:505. [PMID: 37543647 PMCID: PMC10404268 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06026-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) is known to evade host immune responses and persist in macrophages for long periods. A mechanism that the host uses to combat Mtb is xenophagy, a selective form of autophagy that targets intracellular pathogens for degradation. Ubiquitination of Mtb or Mtb-containing compartments is a key event to recruit the autophagy machinery and mediate the bacterial delivery to the lysosome. This event relies on the coordinated and complementary activity of different ubiquitin ligases, including PARKIN, SMURF1, and TRIM16. Because each of these factors is responsible for the ubiquitination of a subset of the Mtb population, it is likely that additional ubiquitin ligases are employed by macrophages to trigger a full xenophagic response during Mtb infection. In this study, we investigated the role TRIM proteins whose expression is modulated in response to Mtb or BCG infection of primary macrophages. These TRIMs were ectopically expressed in THP1 macrophage cell line to assess their impact on Mtb replication. This screening identified TRIM32 as a novel player involved in the intracellular response to Mtb infection, which promotes autophagy-mediated Mtb degradation. The role of TRIM32 in xenophagy was further confirmed by silencing TRIM32 expression in THP1 cells, which causes increased intracellular growth of Mtb associated to impaired Mtb ubiquitination, reduced recruitment of the autophagy proteins NDP52/CALCOCO2 and BECLIN 1/BECN1 to Mtb and autophagosome formation. Overall, these findings suggest that TRIM32 plays an important role in the host response to Mtb infection through the induction of autophagy, representing a promising target for host-directed tuberculosis therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Romagnoli
- Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'L. Spallanzani', Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Di Rienzo
- Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'L. Spallanzani', Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Petruccioli
- Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'L. Spallanzani', Rome, Italy
| | - Carmela Fusco
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Ivana Palucci
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie-Sezione di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio e Infettivologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli", IRCCS, 00168, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Micale
- Division of Medical Genetics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Tommaso Mazza
- Bioinformatics laboratory, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, 71013, San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy
| | - Giovanni Delogu
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biotecnologiche di Base, Cliniche Intensivologiche e Perioperatorie-Sezione di Microbiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168, Rome, Italy
- Mater Olbia Hospital, 07026, Olbia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Merla
- Laboratory of Regulatory & Functional Genomics, Fondazione IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, 71013, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine & Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Delia Goletti
- Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'L. Spallanzani', Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Piacentini
- Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'L. Spallanzani', Rome, Italy.
- Department of Biology, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome, Italy.
| | - Gian Maria Fimia
- Department of Epidemiology, Preclinical Research and Advanced Diagnostics, National Institute for Infectious Diseases IRCCS 'L. Spallanzani', Rome, Italy.
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
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46
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Mazzera L, Abeltino M, Lombardi G, Cantoni AM, Jottini S, Corradi A, Ricca M, Rossetti E, Armando F, Peli A, Ferrari A, Martinelli G, Scupoli MT, Visco C, Bonifacio M, Ripamonti A, Gambacorti-Passerini C, Bonati A, Perris R, Lunghi P. MEK1/2 regulate normal BCR and ABL1 tumor-suppressor functions to dictate ATO response in TKI-resistant Ph+ leukemia. Leukemia 2023; 37:1671-1685. [PMID: 37386079 PMCID: PMC10400427 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-023-01940-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) remains a clinical challenge in Ph-positive variants of chronic myeloid leukemia. We provide mechanistic insights into a previously undisclosed MEK1/2/BCR::ABL1/BCR/ABL1-driven signaling loop that may determine the efficacy of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in TKI-resistant leukemic patients. We find that activated MEK1/2 assemble into a pentameric complex with BCR::ABL1, BCR and ABL1 to induce phosphorylation of BCR and BCR::ABL1 at Tyr360 and Tyr177, and ABL1, at Thr735 and Tyr412 residues thus provoking loss of BCR's tumor-suppression functions, enhanced oncogenic activity of BCR::ABL1, cytoplasmic retention of ABL1 and consequently drug resistance. Coherently, pharmacological blockade of MEK1/2 induces dissociation of the pentameric MEK1/2/BCR::ABL1/BCR/ABL1 complex and causes a concurrent BCRY360/Y177, BCR::ABL1Y360/Y177 and cytoplasmic ABL1Y412/T735 dephosphorylation thereby provoking the rescue of the BCR's anti-oncogenic activities, nuclear accumulation of ABL1 with tumor-suppressive functions and consequently, growth inhibition of the leukemic cells and an ATO sensitization via BCR-MYC and ABL1-p73 signaling axes activation. Additionally, the allosteric activation of nuclear ABL1 was consistently found to enhance the anti-leukemic effects of the MEK1/2 inhibitor Mirdametinib, which when combined with ATO, significantly prolonged the survival of mice bearing BCR::ABL1-T315I-induced leukemia. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of MEK1/2-inhibitors/ATO combination for the treatment of TKI-resistant leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Mazzera
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Manuela Abeltino
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Guerino Lombardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Jottini
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Attilio Corradi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Micaela Ricca
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell'Emilia Romagna "Bruno Ubertini", Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Rossetti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- National Healthcare Service (SSN-Servizio Sanitario Nazionale) ASL Piacenza, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Federico Armando
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hanover, Germany
| | - Angelo Peli
- Department for Life Quality Studies Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Ferrari
- IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, FC, Italy
| | - Giovanni Martinelli
- IRCCS Istituto Romagnolo per lo Studio dei Tumori (IRST) "Dino Amadori", Meldola, FC, Italy
- Institute of Hematology "L. e A. Seragnoli", Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Scupoli
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Carlo Visco
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, Section of Hematology-University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Bonifacio
- Department of Engineering for Innovation Medicine, Section of Hematology-University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Alessia Ripamonti
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Adult Hematology, IRCCS San Gerardo, Monza, Italy
| | - Carlo Gambacorti-Passerini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milan-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Adult Hematology, IRCCS San Gerardo, Monza, Italy
| | - Antonio Bonati
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberto Perris
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Centre for Molecular and Translational Oncology-COMT, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Paolo Lunghi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
- Centre for Molecular and Translational Oncology-COMT, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
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47
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Nazzari S, Cagliero L, Grumi S, Pisoni E, Mallucci G, Bergamaschi R, Maccarini J, Giorda R, Provenzi L. Prenatal exposure to environmental air pollution and psychosocial stress jointly contribute to the epigenetic regulation of the serotonin transporter gene in newborns. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3503-3511. [PMID: 37542161 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02206-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Antenatal exposures to maternal stress and to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) have been independently associated with developmental outcomes in early infancy and beyond. Knowledge about their joint impact, biological mechanisms of their effects and timing-effects, is still limited. Both PM2.5 and maternal stress exposure during pregnancy might result in altered patterns of DNA methylation in specific stress-related genes, such as the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4 DNAm), that might, in turn, influence infant development across several domains, including bio-behavioral, cognitive and socio-emotional domains. Here, we investigated the independent and interactive influence of variations in antenatal exposures to maternal pandemic-related stress (PRS) and PM2.5 on SLC6A4 DNAm levels in newborns. Mother-infant dyads (N = 307) were enrolled at delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infants' methylation status was assessed in 13 CpG sites within the SLC6A4 gene's region (chr17:28562750-28562958) in buccal cells at birth and women retrospectively report on PRS. PM2.5 exposure throughout the entire gestation and at each gestational trimester was estimated using a spatiotemporal model based on residential address. Among several potentially confounding socio-demographic and health-related factors, infant's sex was significantly associated with infants' SLC6A4 DNAm levels, thus hierarchical regression models were adjusted for infant's sex. Higher levels of SLC6A4 DNAm at 6 CpG sites were found in newborns born to mothers reporting higher levels of antenatal PRS and greater PM2.5 exposure across gestation, while adjusting for infant's sex. These effects were especially evident when exposure to elevated PM2.5 occurred during the second trimester of pregnancy. Several important brain processes (e.g., synaptogenesis and myelination) occur during mid-pregnancy, potentially making the second trimester a sensitive time window for the effects of stress-related exposures. Understanding the interplay between environmental and individual-level stressors has important implications for the improvement of mother-infant health during and after the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Nazzari
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Lucia Cagliero
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Grumi
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Enrico Pisoni
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), Ispra, Italy
| | - Giulia Mallucci
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Neurocenter of South of Switzerland, EOC, Lugano, Switzerland
| | | | - Julia Maccarini
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Roberto Giorda
- Molecular Biology Lab, Scientific Institute IRCCS E. Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Livio Provenzi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
- Developmental Psychobiology Lab, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
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48
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Cosentino L, Witt SH, Dukal H, Zidda F, Siehl S, Flor H, De Filippis B. Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 expression is associated with symptom severity in patients with PTSD in a sex-dependent manner. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:249. [PMID: 37419878 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02529-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic events may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with higher prevalence in women. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) increase PTSD risk in adulthood. Epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in PTSD pathogenesis and a mutation in the methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) in mice provide susceptibility to PTSD-like alterations, with sex-dependent biological signatures. The present study examined whether the increased risk of PTSD associated with ACE exposure is accompanied by reduced MECP2 blood levels in humans, with an influence of sex. MECP2 mRNA levels were analyzed in the blood of 132 subjects (58 women). Participants were interviewed to assess PTSD symptomatology, and asked to retrospectively report ACE. Among trauma-exposed women, MECP2 downregulation was associated with the intensification of PTSD symptoms linked to ACE exposure. MECP2 expression emerges as a potential contributor to post-trauma pathophysiology fostering novel studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying its potential sex-dependent role in PTSD onset and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Cosentino
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Helene Dukal
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Francesca Zidda
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sebastian Siehl
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Bianca De Filippis
- Center for Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy.
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49
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Ricci L, Stanley FU, Eberhart T, Mainini F, Sumpton D, Cardaci S. Pyruvate transamination and NAD biosynthesis enable proliferation of succinate dehydrogenase-deficient cells by supporting aerobic glycolysis. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:403. [PMID: 37414778 PMCID: PMC10326256 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05927-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is the mitochondrial enzyme converting succinate to fumarate in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. SDH acts as a tumor suppressor with germline loss-of-function mutations in its encoding genes predisposing to aggressive familial neuroendocrine and renal cancer syndromes. Lack of SDH activity disrupts the TCA cycle, imposes Warburg-like bioenergetic features, and commits cells to rely on pyruvate carboxylation for anabolic needs. However, the spectrum of metabolic adaptations enabling SDH-deficient tumors to cope with a dysfunctional TCA cycle remains largely unresolved. By using previously characterized Sdhb-deleted kidney mouse cells, here we found that SDH deficiency commits cells to rely on mitochondrial glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT2) activity for proliferation. We showed that GPT2-dependent alanine biosynthesis is crucial to sustain reductive carboxylation of glutamine, thereby circumventing the TCA cycle truncation determined by SDH loss. By driving the reductive TCA cycle anaplerosis, GPT2 activity fuels a metabolic circuit maintaining a favorable intracellular NAD+ pool to enable glycolysis, thus meeting the energetic demands of SDH-deficient cells. As a metabolic syllogism, SDH deficiency confers sensitivity to NAD+ depletion achieved by pharmacological inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), the rate-limiting enzyme of the NAD+ salvage pathway. Beyond identifying an epistatic functional relationship between two metabolic genes in the control of SDH-deficient cell fitness, this study disclosed a metabolic strategy to increase the sensitivity of tumors to interventions limiting NAD availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Ricci
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Federico Uchenna Stanley
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Tanja Eberhart
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Mainini
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Simone Cardaci
- Cancer Metabolism Unit, Division of Genetics and Cell Biology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy.
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50
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Priolo M, Zara E, Radio FC, Ciolfi A, Spadaro F, Bellacchio E, Mancini C, Pantaleoni F, Cordeddu V, Chiriatti L, Niceta M, Africa E, Mammì C, Melis D, Coppola S, Tartaglia M. Clinical profiling of MRD48 and functional characterization of two novel pathogenic RAC1 variants. Eur J Hum Genet 2023; 31:805-814. [PMID: 37059841 PMCID: PMC10326044 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-023-01351-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
RAC1 is a member of the Rac/Rho GTPase subfamily within the RAS superfamily of small GTP-binding proteins, comprising 3 paralogs playing a critical role in actin cytoskeleton remodeling, cell migration, proliferation and differentiation. De novo missense variants in RAC1 are associated with a rare neurodevelopmental disorder (MRD48) characterized by DD/ID and brain abnormalities coupled with a wide range of additional features. Structural and functional studies have documented either a dominant negative or constitutively active behavior for a subset of mutations. Here, we describe two individuals with previously unreported de novo missense RAC1 variants. We functionally demonstrate their pathogenicity proving a gain-of-function (GoF) effect for both. By reviewing the clinical features of these two individuals and the previously published MRD48 subjects, we further delineate the clinical profile of the disorder, confirming its phenotypic variability. Moreover, we compare the main features of MRD48 with the neurodevelopmental disease caused by GoF variants in the paralog RAC3, highlighting similarities and differences. Finally, we review all previously reported variants in RAC proteins and in the closely related CDC42, providing an updated overview of the spectrum and hotspots of pathogenic variants affecting these functionally related GTPases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Priolo
- USD Genetica Medica, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, 89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy.
| | - Erika Zara
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Sapienza University, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Ciolfi
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Emanuele Bellacchio
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Cecilia Mancini
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Pantaleoni
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Viviana Cordeddu
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Chiriatti
- USD Genetica Medica, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, 89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Marcello Niceta
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy
| | - Emilio Africa
- USD Neuroradiologia, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, 89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Corrado Mammì
- USD Genetica Medica, Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Bianchi-Melacrino-Morelli, 89124, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Daniela Melis
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana", Università di Salerno, 84084, Salerno, Italy
| | - Simona Coppola
- National Center for Rare Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Tartaglia
- Molecular Genetics and Functional Genomics, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù, IRCCS, 00146, Rome, Italy.
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