Atypical structure and function of integrin αV β8

Crosstalk among podocytes, glomerular endothelial cells and mesangial cells in diabetic kidney disease: an updated review

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a long-term and serious complication of diabetes that affects millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by proteinuria, glomerular damage, and renal fibrosis, leading to end-stage renal disease, and the pathogenesis is complex and involves multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms. Among three kinds of intraglomerular cells including podocytes, glomerular endothelial cells (GECs) and mesangial cells (MCs), the alterations in one cell type can produce changes in the others. The cell-to-cell crosstalk plays a crucial role in maintaining the glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) and homeostasis. In this review, we summarized the recent advances in understanding the pathological changes and interactions of these three types of cells in DKD and then focused on the signaling pathways and factors that mediate the crosstalk, such as angiopoietins, vascular endothelial growth factors, transforming growth factor-β, Krüppel-like factors, retinoic acid receptor response protein 1 and exosomes, etc. Furthermore, we also simply introduce the application of the latest technologies in studying cell interactions within glomerular cells and new promising mediators for cell crosstalk in DKD. In conclusion, this review provides a comprehensive and updated overview of the glomerular crosstalk in DKD and highlights its importance for the development of novel intervention approaches.

Progress in the treatment of malignant ascites

Malignant ascites occurs as a symptom of the terminal stage of cancer, affecting the quality of life through abdominal distension, pain, nausea, anorexia, dyspnea and other symptoms. We describe the current main drug treatments in addition to surgery according to the traditional and new strategies. Traditional treatments were based on anti-tumor chemotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine treatments, as well as diuretics to relieve the patient's symptoms. New treatments mainly involve photothermal therapy, intestinal therapy and targeted immunity. This study emphasizes that both traditional and new therapies have certain advantages and disadvantages, and medication should be adjusted according to different periods of use and different patients. In conclusion, this article reviews the literature to systematically describe the primary treatment modalities for malignant ascites.

The role of integrin beta in schizophrenia: a preliminary exploration

Integrins are transmembrane heterodimeric (αβ) receptors that transduce mechanical signals between the extracellular milieu and the cell in a bidirectional manner. Extensive research has shown that the integrin beta (β) family is widely expressed in the brain and that they control various aspects of brain development and function. Schizophrenia is a relatively common neurological disorder of unknown etiology and has been found to be closely related to neurodevelopment and neurochemicals in neuropathological studies of schizophrenia. Here, we review literature from recent years that shows that schizophrenia involves multiple signaling pathways related to neuronal migration, axon guidance, cell adhesion, and actin cytoskeleton dynamics, and that dysregulation of these processes affects the normal function of neurons and synapses. In fact, alterations in integrin β structure, expression and signaling for neural circuits, cortex, and synapses are likely to be associated with schizophrenia. We explored several aspects of the possible association between integrin β and schizophrenia in an attempt to demonstrate the role of integrin β in schizophrenia, which may help to provide new insights into the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia.

YAP Inactivation by Soft Mechanotransduction Relieves MAFG for Tumor Cell Dedifferentiation

Solid tumor cells live in a highly dynamic mechanical microenvironment. How the extracellular-matrix-generated mechanotransduction regulates tumor cell development and differentiation remains an enigma. Here, we show that a low mechanical force generated from the soft matrix induces dedifferentiation of moderately stiff tumor cells to soft stem-cell-like cells. Mechanistically, integrin β8 was identified to transduce mechano-signaling to trigger tumor cell dedifferentiation by recruiting RhoGDI1 to inactivate RhoA and subsequently Yes-associated protein (YAP). YAP inactivation relieved the inhibition of v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog G (MAFG), allowing MAFG to transactivate the stemness genes NANOG, SOX2, and NESTIN. Inactivation also restored β8 expression, thereby forming a closed mechanical loop. Importantly, MAFG expression is correlated with worse prognosis. Our findings provide mechanical insights into the regulation of tumor cell dedifferentiation, which has therapeutic implications for exploring innovative strategies to attack malignancies.

Molecular mechanisms of integrin αvβ8 activation regulated by graphene, boron nitride and black phosphorus nanosheets

Integrin αvβ8 is a heterodimeric transmembrane protein on macrophages. Nanosheets can activate the integrin and elicit immune responses, exhibiting adverse immunotoxicity. Understanding the mechanism of integrin activation regulated by nanosheets is crucial for safe and effective use of nanosheets in biomedical applications. Herein, we performed all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to clarify the interactions between integrin αvβ8 in the cell membrane and three types of nanosheets, graphene (GRA), hexagonal boron nitride (BN), and black phosphorus (BP). We observed that BP could adsorb the intracellular end of αv monomer and thus break the inner membrane clasp, an important hydrophobic cluster for maintaining the inactive state of integrin. The association between αv and β8 subunit is weakened, promoting the integrin activation. By contrast, GRA and BN exert little influence on the association state of the integrin. Interestingly, the puckered structure of BP affects the integrin activation, where BP with the armchair direction perpendicular to the membrane plane cannot unpack the integrin. Moreover, the perturbation effect of nanosheets on the membrane was also evaluated. BP shows a milder effect on membrane structures and lipid properties than GRA and BN. This work unravels the molecular basis on the activation of integrin mediated by three nanosheets, and suggests the toxicity and therapeutic effect of well-established nanomaterials in the immune system.

New perspectives on the regulation of germinal center reaction via αvβ8- mediated activation of TGFβ

Transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) is a long-known modulator of immune responses but has seemingly contradictory effects on B cells. Among cytokines, TGFβ has the particularity of being produced and secreted in a latent form and must be activated before it can bind to its receptor and induce signaling. While the concept of controlled delivery of TGFβ signaling via αvβ8 integrin-mediated activation has gained some interest in the field of mucosal immunity, the role of this molecular mechanism in regulating T-dependent B cell responses is just emerging. We review here the role of TGFβ and its activation, in particular by αvβ8 integrin, in the regulation of mucosal IgA responses and its demonstrated and putative involvement in regulating germinal center (GC) B cell responses. We examine both the direct effect of TGFβ on GC B cells and its ability to modulate the functions of helper cells, namely follicular T cells (Tfh and Tfr) and follicular dendritic cells. Synthetizing recently published works, we reconcile apparently conflicting data and propose an innovative and unified view on the regulation of the GC reaction by TGFβ, highlighting the role of its activation by αvβ8 integrin.

Role and correlation of exosomes and integrins in bone metastasis of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent tumours of the male genitourinary system in the world. In recent years, the morbidity of PCa is steadily rising annually in China. Prostate cancer is prone to distant metastasis, and the most significant complication among patients with advanced PCa is bone metastases. Most patients with prostate cancer do not die of the primary tumour, but more due to the factors of distant metastasis of organs, especially bone metastasis. Due to the lack of effective prevention and monitoring of bone metastasis of PCa in clinical settings, and the lack of effective treatment for patients with bone metastasis, the prognosis of patients is often poor. Therefore, early prevention, early detection, and inhibition of bone metastasis are particularly important. At present, many studies have found that exosomes and integrins are closely related to bone metastasis of prostate cancer, but they have not been summarized together. This review summarizes the literature on the effects of exosomes and integrins on bone metastasis of prostate cancer in recent years. It aims to find more effective ways to prevent, monitor, and treat prostate cancer from the relationship between them.