1
|
Han HT, Jin WL, Li X. Mesenchymal stem cells-based therapy in liver diseases. MOLECULAR BIOMEDICINE 2022; 3:23. [PMID: 35895169 PMCID: PMC9326420 DOI: 10.1186/s43556-022-00088-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple immune cells and their products in the liver together form a complex and unique immune microenvironment, and preclinical models have demonstrated the importance of imbalances in the hepatic immune microenvironment in liver inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases. Various immunotherapies have been attempted to modulate the hepatic immune microenvironment for the purpose of treating liver diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a comprehensive and plastic immunomodulatory capacity. On the one hand, they have been tried for the treatment of inflammatory liver diseases because of their excellent immunosuppressive capacity; On the other hand, MSCs have immune-enhancing properties in immunocompromised settings and can be modified into cellular carriers for targeted transport of immune enhancers by genetic modification, physical and chemical loading, and thus they are also used in the treatment of immunocompromised liver diseases such as chronic viral infections and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we discuss the immunological basis and recent strategies of MSCs for the treatment of the aforementioned liver diseases. Specifically, we update the immune microenvironment of the liver and summarize the distinct mechanisms of immune microenvironment imbalance in inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases, and how MSCs can fully exploit their immunotherapeutic role in liver diseases with both immune imbalance patterns.
Collapse
|
2
|
Chuang CH, Cheng TL, Chen WC, Huang YJ, Wang HE, Lo YC, Hsieh YC, Lin WW, Hsieh YJ, Ke CC, Huang KC, Lee JC, Huang MY. Micro-PET imaging of hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease activity using a protease-activatable retention probe. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:896588. [PMID: 36406412 PMCID: PMC9672079 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.896588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease is an attractive target for direct-acting antiviral agents. Real-time tracking of the NS3/4A protease distribution and activity is useful for clinical diagnosis and disease management. However, no approach has been developed that can systemically detect NS3/4A protease activity or distribution. We designed a protease-activatable retention probe for tracking HCV NS3/4A protease activity via positron emission topography (PET) imaging. A cell-penetrating probe was designed that consisted of a cell-penetrating Tat peptide, HCV NS3/4A protease substrate, and a hydrophilic domain. The probe was labeled by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) and 124I in the hydrophilic domain to form a TAT-ΔNS3/4A-124I-FITC probe. Upon cleavage at NS3/4A substrate, the non-penetrating hydrophilic domain is released and accumulated in the cytoplasm allowing PET or optical imaging. The TAT-ΔNS3/4A-FITC probe selectively accumulated in NS3/4A-expressing HCC36 (NS3/4A-HCC36) cells/tumors and HCV-infected HCC36 cells. PET imaging showed that the TAT-ΔNS3/4A-124I-FITC probe selectively accumulated in the NS3/4A-HCC36 xenograft tumors and liver-implanted NS3/4A-HCC36 tumors, but not in the control HCC36 tumors. The TAT-ΔNS3/4A-124I-FITC probe can be used to represent NS3/4 protease activity and distribution via a clinical PET imaging system allowing. This strategy may be extended to detect any cellular protease activity for optimization the protease-based therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Hung Chuang
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tian-Lu Cheng
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chun Chen
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Jung Huang
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ell Wang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Chen Lo
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yuan-Chin Hsieh
- School of Medicine for International Students, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Wei Lin
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Ju Hsieh
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chih Ke
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Kang-Chieh Huang
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Jin-Ching Lee
- Department of Marine Biotechnology and Resources, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Yii Huang
- College of Medicine, Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Center for Cancer Research, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|