Human red blood cells release microvesicles with distinct sizes and protein composition that alter neutrophil phagocytosis

Sorcin in Cancer Development and Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance

SOluble Resistance-related Calcium-binding proteIN (sorcin) earned its name due to its co-amplification with ABCB1 in multidrug-resistant cells. Initially thought to be an accidental consequence of this co-amplification, recent research indicates that sorcin plays a more active role as an oncoprotein, significantly impacting multidrug resistance (MDR). Sorcin is a highly expressed calcium-binding protein, often overproduced in human tumors and multidrug-resistant cancers, and is a promising novel MDR marker. In tumors, sorcin levels inversely correlate with both patient response to chemotherapy and overall prognosis. Multidrug-resistant cell lines consistently exhibit higher sorcin expression compared to their parental counterparts. Furthermore, sorcin overexpression via gene transfection enhances drug resistance to various chemotherapeutic drugs across numerous cancer lines. Conversely, silencing sorcin expression reverses drug resistance in many cell lines. Sorcin participates in several mechanisms of MDR, including drug efflux, drug sequestering, cell death inhibition, gene amplification, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and metastasis. The present review focuses on the structure and function of sorcin, on sorcin's role in cancer and drug resistance, and on the approaches aimed at targeting sorcin.

Extracellular vesicles derived from stored red blood cell suspensions enhance invasion and migration of lung cancer cells by miR1246 and miR150-3p

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Aged red blood cell (RBC) transfusions in lung cancer patients are often related to cancer recurrence and shorter lifespans. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) accumulated in stored RBC suspensions may be one of the important influential factors. This study aims to investigate how EVs derived from RBC suspensions affect the progress of lung cancer through the most enriched microRNAs (miRNAs) previously reported in our research.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

EVs derived from stored RBC suspensions in Weeks 1, 3 and 5 were harvested via ultracentrifugation. Lung adenocarcinoma H1975 cells were co-cultured with EVs and transfected with miR1246 and miR150-3p mimics to evaluate alterations in their proliferation, invasion and migration abilities in vitro. Proteomics and bioinformatics were performed to predict the signalling pathway related to invasion and migration of H1975, which were verified by western blotting (WB) and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

EVs derived from stored RBC suspensions in Weeks 3 and 5 could significantly enhance the invasion and migration ability of H1975 cells and also increase the expression of miR1246 and miR150-3p. After transfection with miR1246 and miR150-3p mimics, invasion, migration and proliferation of H1975 cells were obviously enhanced. Proteomics analysis demonstrated that EVs co-cultivation and miRNA transfection groups were both enriched in cell adhesion molecules. WB and cytometry indicated that integrin beta-1 (ITGB1) and Rap1b were increased.

CONCLUSIONS

EVs derived from stored RBC suspensions can enhance invasion and migration ability of lung cancer cells via the most accumulated miR1246 and miR150-3p, which may increase the expression of ITGB1 through Rap1 signalling pathway.

Erythrocyte Vulnerability to Airborne Nanopollutants

The toxicological impact of airborne polluting ultrafine particles (UFPs, also classified as nanoparticles with average sizes of less than 100 nm) is an emerging area of research pursuing a better understanding of the health hazards they pose to humans and other organisms. Hemolytic activity is a toxicity parameter that can be assessed quickly and easily to establish part of a nanoparticle's behavior once it reaches our circulatory system. However, it is exceedingly difficult to determine to what extent each of the nanoparticles present in the air is responsible for the detrimental effects exhibited. At the same time, current hemolytic assessment methodologies pose a series of limitations for the interpretation of results. An alternative is to synthesize nanoparticles that model selected typical types of UFPs in air pollution and evaluate their individual contributions to adverse health effects under a clinical assay of osmotic fragility. Here, we discuss evidence pointing out that the absence of hemolysis is not always a synonym for safety; exposure to model nanopollutants, even at low concentrations, is enough to increase erythrocyte susceptibility and dysfunction. A modified osmotic fragility assay in combination with a morphological inspection of the nanopollutant-erythrocyte interaction allows a richer interpretation of the exposure outcomes. Membrane-nanoparticle interplay has a leading role in the vulnerability observed. Therefore, future research in this line of work should pay special attention to the evaluation of the mechanisms that cause membrane damage.