Shear Stress Modulates Resistin-Induced CC Chemokine Ligand 19 Expression in Human Aortic Endothelial Cells

The prognostic value and molecular properties of tertiary lymphoid structures in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) play key roles in tumour adaptive immunity. However, the prognostic value and molecular properties of TLSs in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients have not been studied.

METHODS

The prognostic values of the presence and maturation status of tumour-associated TLSs were determined in 394 and 256 ESCC patients from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (Centre A) and the Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College (Centre B), respectively. A deep-learning (DL) TLS classifier was established with haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained slides using an inception-resnet-v2 neural network. Digital spatial profiling was performed to determine the cellular and molecular properties of TLSs in ESCC tissues.

RESULTS

TLSs were observed in 73.1% of ESCCs from Centre A via pathological examination of H&E-stained primary tumour slides, among which 42.9% were TLS-mature and 30.2% were TLS-immature tumours. The established DL TLS classifier yielded favourable sensitivities and specificities for patient TLS identification and maturation evaluation, with which 55.1%, 39.5% and 5.5% of ESCCs from Centre B were identified as TLS-mature, TLS-immature and TLS-negative tumours. Multivariate analyses proved that the presence of mature TLSs was an independent prognostic factor in both the Centre A and Centre B cohorts (p < .05). Increased proportions of proliferative B, plasma and CD4+ T helper (Th) cells and increased B memory and Th17 signatures were observed in mature TLSs compared to immature ones. Intratumoural CD8+ T infiltration was increased in TLS-mature ESCC tissues compared to mature TLS-absent tissues. The combination of mature TLS presence and high CD8+ T infiltration was associated with the best survival in ESCC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Mature TLSs improve the prognosis of ESCC patients who underwent complete resection. The use of the DL TLS classifier would facilitate precise and efficient evaluation of TLS maturation status and offer a novel probability of ESCC treatment individualization.

CALR-TLR4 Complex Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression by Regulating the Migration and Maturation of Dendritic Cells

Background

Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor that threatens human life and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. Calreticulin (CALR) is a antigen characteristic of immunogenic cell death in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which is closely related to anti-tumor immunity, but its specific mechanism in anti-tumor immunity remains unclear.

Methods

Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of CALR and dendritic cell-lysosome-associated membrane glycoprotein (DC-LAMP) in NSCLC tissues. The cell supernatant was used to induce migration and maturation of dendritic cells (DCs). Western blot and real-time PCR were used to investigate the corresponding molecule expression in the CALR-Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-MyD88 signaling pathway. In vivo experiments were conducted to evaluate the role of mCALR in lung cancer progression.

Results

The expression of CALR on NSCLC cell membrane (mCALR) and DC infiltration in NSCLC were positively correlated and were closely related to the prognosis of NSCLC patients. Moreover, mCALR facilitated the migration and maturation of DCs by activating CALR-TLR4-MyD88 signaling and increasing the secretion of TNFα and CCL19, which was inhibited by the loss of TLR4. In vivo experiments demonstrated that mCALR inhibited lung cancer progression by facilitating DC infiltration in lung cancer tissues.

Conclusion

Our study explores the function and mechanism of the CALR-TLR4 complex in DC migration and maturation and investigates the inhibitory effect of the CALR-TLR4 complex on lung cancer progression, providing a theoretical basis and ideas for immunotherapy of NSCLC.

Toll-like receptor-4 signaling pathway in aorta aging and diseases: "its double nature"

Recent advances in the field of innate immunity have revealed a complex role of innate immune signaling pathways in both tissue homeostasis and disease. Among them, the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) pathways has been linked to various pathophysiological conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This has been interrogated by developing multiple laboratory tools that have shown in animal models and clinical conditions, the involvement of the TLR-4 signaling pathway in the pathophysiology of different CVDs, such as atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, ischemia-reperfusion injury and aorta aneurysm. Among these, aorta aneurysm, a very complex pathological condition with uncertain etiology and fatal complications (i.e. dissection and rupture), has been associated with the occurrence of high risk cardiovascular conditions, including thrombosis and embolism. In this review, we discuss the possible role of TLR-4 signaling pathway in the development of aorta aneurysm, considering the emerging evidence from ongoing investigations. Our message is that emphasizing the role of TLR-4 signaling pathway in aorta aneurysm may serve as a starting point for future studies, leading to a better understanding of the pathophysiological basis and perhaps the effective treatment of this difficult human disease.

Resistin promotes CCL4 expression through toll-like receptor-4 and activation of the p38-MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways: implications for intervertebral disc degeneration

OBJECTIVE

This study was to investigate whether resistin induces the expression of chemokine ligand 4 (CCL4) during Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and whether toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) and the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway are involved in this process.

METHODS

The expression pattern of resistin and CCL4 in different degenerated human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); Effect of resistin on the migration of macrophages was measured by cell migration assay. Resistin-induced CCL4 expression were analyzed by qPCR, Enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and cell immunofluorescence. Involvement of TLR-4, p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK), and NF-κB signaling pathways were studied by small interfering RNA (siRNA) or Lenti-virus mediated knockdown, co-immunoprecipitation, and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay.

RESULTS

Expression of resistin and CCL4 was elevated in degenerated NP tissue. Resistin promoted macrophage migration through CCL4 and its receptor. Expression of CCL4 was significantly increased by resistin treatment. The pharmacological inhibition or siRNA knockdown of TLR-4 blocked the resistin-induced CCL4 expression. Co-immunoprecipitation data confirmed the binding of resistin to TLR4. Pharmacological inhibition of the NF-κB and p38-MAPK signaling pathways attenuated the resistin-induced CCL4 expression. A ChIP assay and lentivirus mediated knockdown showed that resistin regulate CCL4 expression through p65.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that resistin binds to TLR4 and increase the expression of CCL4 through p38-MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways in NP cells, and this expression causes infiltration of macrophages. This study might provide a feasible therapeutic target for controlling the inflammatory response associated with IVDD.