Retracted : Role of RKIP in human hepatic stellate cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis

Tumor-Associated Macrophage Targeting of Nanomedicines in Cancer Therapy

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is pivotal in tumor growth and metastasis, aligning with the "Seed and Soil" theory. Within the TME, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play a central role, profoundly influencing tumor progression. Strategies targeting TAMs have surfaced as potential therapeutic avenues, encompassing interventions to block TAM recruitment, eliminate TAMs, reprogram M2 TAMs, or bolster their phagocytic capabilities via specific pathways. Nanomaterials including inorganic materials, organic materials for small molecules and large molecules stand at the forefront, presenting significant opportunities for precise targeting and modulation of TAMs to enhance therapeutic efficacy in cancer treatment. This review provides an overview of the progress in designing nanoparticles for interacting with and influencing the TAMs as a significant strategy in cancer therapy. This comprehensive review presents the role of TAMs in the TME and various targeting strategies as a promising frontier in the ever-evolving field of cancer therapy. The current trends and challenges associated with TAM-based therapy in cancer are presented.

RKIP Pleiotropic Activities in Cancer and Inflammatory Diseases: Role in Immunity

Simple Summary

The human body consists of tissues and organs formed by cells. In each cell there is a switch that allows the cell to divide or not. In contrast, cancer cells have their switch on which allow them to divide and invade other sites leading to death. Over two decades ago, Doctor Kam Yeung, University of Toledo, Ohio, has identified a factor (RKIP) that is responsible for the on/off switch which functions normally in healthy tissues but is inactive or absent in cancers. Since this early discovery, many additional properties have been ascribed to RKIP including its role in inhibiting cancer metastasis and resistance to therapeutics and its role in modulating the normal immune response. This review describes all of the above functions of RKIP and suggesting therapeutics to induce RKIP in cancers to inhibit their growth and metastases as well as inhibit its activity to treat non-cancerous inflammatory diseases.

Abstract

Several gene products play pivotal roles in the induction of inflammation and the progression of cancer. The Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) is a cytosolic protein that exerts pleiotropic activities in such conditions, and thus regulates oncogenesis and immune-mediated diseases through its deregulation. Herein, we review the general properties of RKIP, including its: (i) molecular structure; (ii) involvement in various cell signaling pathways (i.e., inhibition of the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway; the NF-kB pathway; GRK-2 or the STAT-3 pathway; as well as regulation of the GSK3Beta signaling; and the spindle checkpoints); (iii) regulation of RKIP expression; (iv) expression’s effects on oncogenesis; (v) role in the regulation of the immune system to diseases (i.e., RKIP regulation of T cell functions; the secretion of cytokines and immune mediators, apoptosis, immune check point inhibitors and RKIP involvement in inflammatory diseases); and (vi) bioinformatic analysis between normal and malignant tissues, as well as across various immune-related cells. Overall, the regulation of RKIP in different cancers and inflammatory diseases suggest that it can be used as a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of these diseases.

Comparative Proteomic Study Shows the Expression of Hint-1 in Pituitary Adenomas

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) can be unpredictable and aggressive tumors. No reliable markers of their biological behavior have been found. Here, a proteomic analysis was applied to identify proteins in the expression profile between invasive and non-invasive PAs to search for possible biomarkers. A histopathological and immunohistochemical (adenohypophyseal hormones, Ki-67, p53, CD34, VEGF, Flk1 antibodies) analysis was done; a proteomic map was evaluated in 64 out of 128 tumors. There were 107 (84%) invasive and 21 (16%) non-invasive PAs; 80.5% belonged to III and IV grades of the Hardy–Vezina classification. Invasive PAs (n = 56) showed 105 ± 43 spots; 86 ± 32 spots in non-invasive PAs (n = 8) were observed. The 13 most prominent spots were selected and 11 proteins related to neoplastic process in different types of tumors were identified. Hint1 (Histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1) high expression in invasive PA was found (11.8 ± 1.4, p = 0.005), especially at high index (>10; p = 0.0002). High Hint1 expression was found in invasive VEGF positive PA (13.8 ± 2.3, p = 0.005) and in Flk1 positive PA (14.04 ± 2.28, p = 0.006). Hint1 is related to human tumorigenesis by its interaction with signaling pathways and transcription factors. It could be related to invasive behavior in PAs. This is the first report on Hint expression in PAs. More analysis is needed to find out the possible role of Hint in these tumors.

Prediction and verification of target of helenalin against hepatic stellate cell activation based on miR-200a-mediated PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways

Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation is a crucial event in the progress of liver fibrosis. In this study, the target of helenalin was firstly predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and then the prediction was verified by various experiments. HSC-T6 cells were activated by interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and then treated with helenalin. Moreover, HSC-T6 cells were transfected with miR-200a mimic or inhibitor, and the effect of helenalin on the miR-200a-mediated PI3K/Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways was investigated. The bioinformatics analysis indicated that miR-200a might regulate the PI3K/Akt pathway, NF-κB activation, Bcl-2 family and Caspases, ultimately affecting cell survival and apoptosis. Interestingly, the molecular docking demonstrated that the target of helenalin might be miR-200a-mediated the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways. Moreover, the experiments showed that helenalin administration led to the inactivation of HSC-T6 cells, as evidenced by the inhibition of cell proliferation, α-SMA expression and collagen production. The mechanism studies showed that helenalin reduced collagen accumulation by restoring the balance of MMPs/TIMPs. Moreover, helenalin markedly suppressed HSC activation by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway and alleviated inflammatory response by blocking the NF-κB signal transduction. Further study indicated that helenalin up-regulated miR-200a expression, thus leading to the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB signaling pathways. In conclusion, helenalin inhibits HSC activation via inhibiting the miR-200a-mediated PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways, and it may be developed as a potential medicine for the treatment of liver fibrosis.