Interleukin-35 in immune-related diseases: protection or destruction

Naproxen platinum(iv) hybrids inhibiting cycloxygenases and matrix metalloproteinases and causing DNA damage: synthesis and biological evaluation as antitumor agents in vitro and in vivo

Cycloxygenases (COXs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are tightly related to the progression of cancers. Here, naproxen as a potent inhibitor of both COX and MMP was combined with platinum(iv) to construct hybrids as antitumor agents. Compound 2 with comparable or even superior activities to that of cisplatin, oxaliplatin, and carboplatin, great potential for reversing drug resistance, and superior tumor targeting properties was screened out as a lead compound. Moreover, compound 2 possessed potent tumor growth inhibition capability in vivo, which was comparable to that of oxaliplatin, and displayed rather lower side effects than the platinum(ii) reference drugs. The naproxen platinum(iv) complex could easily undergo reduction and liberate the platinum(ii) complex and naproxen as well as exert a multifunctional antitumor mechanism: (i) the liberated platinum(ii) fragment would cause serious DNA injury; (ii) naproxen would inhibit COX-2 and decrease tumor-associated inflammation; and (iii) the naproxen platinum(iv) complex exhibited remarkable MMP-9 inhibition in tumor tissues. These antitumor functions can help reduce the growth and metastasis of malignancy.

[The expression and significance of interleukin-35 receptor in oral lichen planus]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression of glycoprotein 130 (gp130) and interleukin 12 receptor β2 (IL-12Rβ2) in two subunits of interleukin-35 receptor (IL-35R), singal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 and STAT4 in oral lichen planus (OLP) tissues, and to explore the role and significance of IL-35R in the formation and development of OLP lesions.

METHODS

Totally 41 samples of OLP tissues (OLP group) and 15 samples of normal oral mucosa (control group) were collected. The expression levels of gp130, IL-12Rβ2, STAT1, STAT4 mRNA in the tissues were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and the distribution and expression of protein gp130 and IL-12Rβ2 were detected by immunohistochemistry. The potential relationship between gp130 and IL-12Rβ2 and clinical features of OLP was analyzed.

RESULTS

1) The expression levels of gp130, IL-12Rβ2, STAT1 and STAT4 mRNA in the OLP group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). 2) The positive expression rates of gp130 and IL-12Rβ2 protein in the OLP group were higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). The expression of gp130 and IL-12Rβ2 proteins in OLP tissues were positively correlated (r=0.984, P<0.001). 3) The expression rates of gp130 and IL-12Rβ2 protein in erosive OLP tissues were significantly higher than those in non-erosive ones (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of IL-35R and STAT is up-regulated in OLP tissues, and the expression of IL-35R is related to the clinical classification of OLP, suggesting that IL-35R might play an important role in the formation and development of damage OLP lesions.

In Vitro Characterization of Gut Microbiota-Derived Commensal Strains: Selection of Parabacteroides distasonis Strains Alleviating TNBS-Induced Colitis in Mice

Alterations in the gut microbiota composition and diversity seem to play a role in the development of chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), leading to gut barrier disruption and induction of proinflammatory immune responses. This opens the door for the use of novel health-promoting bacteria. We selected five Parabacteroides distasonis strains isolated from human adult and neonates gut microbiota. We evaluated in vitro their immunomodulation capacities and their ability to reinforce the gut barrier and characterized in vivo their protective effects in an acute murine model of colitis. The in vitro beneficial activities were highly strain dependent: two strains exhibited a potent anti-inflammatory potential and restored the gut barrier while a third strain reinstated the epithelial barrier. While their survival to in vitro gastric conditions was variable, the levels of P. distasonis DNA were higher in the stools of bacteria-treated animals. The strains that were positively scored in vitro displayed a strong ability to rescue mice from colitis. We further showed that two strains primed dendritic cells to induce regulatory T lymphocytes from naïve CD4⁺ T cells. This study provides better insights on the functionality of commensal bacteria and crucial clues to design live biotherapeutics able to target inflammatory chronic diseases such as IBD.

Increased Interleukin-35 suppresses peripheral CD14+ monocytes function in patients with Kawasaki disease

Background

Interleukin-35 (IL-35) is a newly identified IL-12 cytokine family member, which regulates the activity of immune cells in infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders. However, the regulatory function of IL-35 in Kawasaki disease is not well elucidated.

Methods

Thirty-three patients with Kawasaki disease and seventeen healthy controls were studied. Peripheral IL-35 concentration was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. CD14⁺ monocytes were purified, and mRNA expression of IL-35 receptor (IL-12Rβ2 and gp130) was semi-quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. CD14⁺ monocytes were stimulated with recombinant IL-35. The modulatory role of IL-35 treated CD14⁺ monocytes to naïve CD4⁺ T cell activation was investigated by flow cytometry. The influence of IL-35 to cytotoxicity of CD14⁺ monocytes was assessed by measuring target cell death, cytokine and granzyme secretion.

Results

Plasma IL-35 concentration was elevated in patients with Kawasaki disease. There was no significant differences of either IL-12Rβ2 or gp130 mRNA expression in CD14⁺ monocytes between Kawasaki disease patients and controls. IL-35 suppressed CD14⁺ monocytes induced naïve CD4⁺ T cell activation in Kawasaki disease, and this process required direct cell-to-cell contact. IL-35 also inhibited tumor necrosis factor-α and granzyme B secretion by CD14⁺ monocytes from patients with Kawasaki disease, however, only granzyme B was responsible for the cytotoxicity of CD14⁺ monocytes.

Conclusions

IL-35 played an important immunosuppressive role to CD14⁺ monocytes function in Kawasaki disease.

Correlation between miR-223 and IL-35 and their regulatory effect in children with allergic rhinitis

The relationship between microRNA (miR) and immune activity in allergic rhinitis (AR) remains unclear. 37 children with AR and 30 healthy children were enrolled to study the correlation of miR-223 and IL-35. There was a significant inverse correlation between plasma levels of IL-35 and serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) levels and eosinophils counts, while there was a positive correlation between serum miR-223 level and ECP levels and eosinophils counts. Besides, the serum levels of IL-35 or miR-223 were found to be negatively or positively correlated with TNSS respectively. The serum level of miR-223 was increased, while IL-35 level was decreased. Moreover, the expression of miRNA-223 was inversely correlated with expression of IL-35. Finally, the levels of miR-223 and IL-35 were related to Th1/Th2 cytokines, eosinophils count as well as the clinical severity. Our study suggests the potential of miR-223 and IL-35 as a molecular target for the treatment of AR.

Future prospects for CD8+ regulatory T cells in immune tolerance

CD8⁺ Tregs have been long described and significant progresses have been made about their phenotype, their functional mechanisms, and their suppressive ability compared to conventional CD4⁺ Tregs. They are now at the dawn of their clinical use. In this review, we will summarize their phenotypic characteristics, their mechanisms of action, the similarities, differences and synergies between CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ Tregs, and we will discuss the biology, development and induction of CD8⁺ Tregs, their manufacturing for clinical use, considering open questions/uncertainties and future technically accessible improvements notably through genetic modifications.