Human Plasma Levels of VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, their Soluble Receptor - VEGFR-2 and Applicability of these Parameters as Tumor Markers in the Diagnostics of Breast Cancer

Microfluidics as a Powerful Tool to Investigate Microvascular Dysfunction in Trauma Conditions: A Review of the State-of-the-Art

Skeletal muscle trauma such as fracture or crush injury can result in a life-threatening condition called acute compartment syndrome (ACS), which involves elevated compartmental pressure within a closed osteo-fascial compartment, leading to collapse of the microvasculature and resulting in necrosis of the tissue due to ischemia. Diagnosis of ACS is complex and controversial due to the lack of standardized objective methods, which results in high rates of misdiagnosis/late diagnosis, leading to permanent neuro-muscular damage. ACS pathophysiology is poorly understood at a cellular level due to the lack of physiologically relevant models. In this context, microfluidics organ-on-chip systems (OOCs) provide an exciting opportunity to investigate the cellular mechanisms of microvascular dysfunction that leads to ACS. In this article, the state-of-the-art OOCs designs and strategies used to investigate microvasculature dysfunction mechanisms is reviewed. The differential effects of hemodynamic shear stress on endothelial cell characteristics such as morphology, permeability, and inflammation, all of which are altered during microvascular dysfunction is highlighted. The article then critically reviews the importance of microfluidics to investigate closely related microvascular pathologies that cause ACS. The article concludes by discussing potential biomarkers of ACS with a special emphasis on glycocalyx and providing a future perspective.

Down regulation of C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 6 is associated with increased risk of breast cancer

C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein 6 (CTRP6), a member of the C1q tumor necrosis factor-related protein (CTRP) family, is reported to be associated with the progression of different malignancies, however, its expression levels and role in breast cancer (BC) are yet unknown. In this study, we investigated the levels of circulating CTRP6 in BC patients and evaluated its role as a potential diagnostic biomarker in BC patients. Then we investigated the effect of recombinant CTRP6 on cellular viability in MCF-7 cells along with its effects on the expression of inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in addition to the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) as a marker of angiogenesis. Our results showed decreased expression of circulating CTRP6 in BC patients with an inverse correlation between CTRP6 and IL-6, TNF-α and VEGF levels. Besides, Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the assessment of CTRP6 levels could be used to predict BC. Moreover, treatment of MCF-7 cells with recombinant CTRP6 protein reduced cellular viability and decreased IL-6, TNF-α and VEGF expression. In conclusion, these results provide new insights into the role of CTRP6 in BC pathogenesis and suggest its potential use as a novel diagnostic biomarker of BC.

A mouse model of wildfire smoke-induced health effects: sex differences in acute and sustained effects of inhalation exposures

Due to climate change, wildfires have increased in intensity and duration. While wildfires threaten lives directly, the smoke has more far-reaching adverse health impacts. During an extreme 2017 wildfire event, residents of Seeley Lake, Montana were exposed to unusually high levels of wood smoke (WS) causing sustained effects on lung function (decreased FEV1/FVC). Objective: The present study utilized an animal model of WS exposure to research cellular and molecular mechanisms of the resulting health effects. Methods: Mice were exposed to inhaled WS utilizing locally harvested wood to recapitulate community exposures. WS was generated at a rate resulting in a 5 mg/m3 PM2.5 exposure for five days. Results: This exposure resulted in a similar 0.28 mg/m2 particle deposition (lung surface area) in mice that was calculated for human exposure. As with the community observations, there was a significant effect on lung function, increased resistance, and decreased compliance, that was more pronounced in males at an extended (2 months) timepoint and males were more affected than females: ex vivo assays illustrated changes to alveolar macrophage functions (increased TNFα secretion and decreased efferocytosis). Female mice had significantly elevated IL-33 levels in lungs, however, pretreatment of male mice with IL-33 resulted in an abrogation of the observed WS effects, suggesting a dose-dependent role of IL-33. Additionally, there were greater immunotoxic effects in male mice. Discussion: These findings replicated the outcomes in humans and suggest that IL-33 is involved in a mechanism of the adverse effects of WS exposures that inform on potential sex differences.

Association of plasma NRP2 and VEGF-C levels with prostate cancer disease severity

BACKGROUND

Neuropilin 2 (NRP2) expression in tissue is an independent prognostic factor for aggressive prostate cancer. Since the NRP2 pathway activation is thought to occur in part through secondary resistance, quantification of NRP2 in initial tissue biopsy specimens collected at diagnosis may have limited utility in identifying patients at highest risk for morbidity and mortality. Given that metastatic tissue is only occasionally obtained for analysis, there is a need for development of a plasma biomarker indicative of NRP2 pathway activation to potentially inform prostate cancer prognosis. Therefore, we investigated if plasma levels of NRP2 or vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C), a known soluble ligand of NRP2, are prognostic for prostate cancer. We hypothesized that plasma NRP2 and VEGF-C would be associated with more advanced disease or relapsed disease.

METHODS

NRP2 and VEGF-C levels were quantified by enzyme-linked immunoassay in plasma samples obtained from 145 prostate cancer patients in an opportunistic biobank. These patients were either (1) newly diagnosed (N = 28), (2) in remission (N = 56), or (3) relapsed disease (N = 61). Plasma samples from 15 adult males without known malignancy served as a comparator cohort. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate the association of plasma NRP2/VEGF-C with patient outcomes, adjusting for age, race, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), Gleason score, and tumor stage at diagnosis.

RESULTS

Neither NRP2 nor VEGF-C levels were significantly different in cancer patients compared to noncancer controls. We observed no clear association between plasma NRP2 and disease severity. Increased plasma VEGF-C was significantly associated with disease remission and correlated with Stage I/II and intermediate-risk Gleason score. Neither NRP2 nor VEGF-C correlated with PSA level.

CONCLUSIONS

Although tissue NRP2 expression correlates with severe disease, this was not observed for plasma NRP2. Plasma NRP2 levels did not correlate with disease severity or relapse. VEGF-C was highest in patients in remission and with less severe disease. Future investigation is needed to identify noninvasive methods to assess tumor NRP2 status.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer: an evaluation of its efficacy and research progress

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) for breast cancer is widely used in the clinical setting to improve the chance of surgery, breast conservation and quality of life for patients with advanced breast cancer. A more accurate efficacy evaluation system is important for the decision of surgery timing and chemotherapy regimen implementation. However, current methods, encompassing imaging techniques such as ultrasound and MRI, along with non-imaging approaches like pathological evaluations, often fall short in accurately depicting the therapeutic effects of NAC. Imaging techniques are subjective and only reflect macroscopic morphological changes, while pathological evaluation is the gold standard for efficacy assessment but has the disadvantage of delayed results. In an effort to identify assessment methods that align more closely with real-world clinical demands, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the principles and clinical applications of various assessment approaches in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy process.

Translation of Monoclonal Antibodies Pharmacokinetics from Animal to Human Using Physiologically Based Modeling in Open Systems Pharmacology (OSP) Suite: A Retrospective Analysis of Bevacizumab

Interspecies translation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) pharmacokinetics (PK) in presence of target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD) is particularly challenging. Incorporation of TMDD in physiologically based PK (PBPK) modeling is recent and needs to be consolidated and generalized to provide better prediction of TMDD regarding inter-species translation during preclinical and clinical development steps of mAbs. The objective of this study was to develop a generic PBPK translational approach for mAbs using the open-source software (PK-Sim® and Mobi®). The translation of bevacizumab based on data in non-human primates (NHP), healthy volunteers (HV), and cancer patients was used as a case example for model demonstration purpose. A PBPK model for bevacizumab concentration-time data was developed using data from literature and the Open Systems Pharmacology (OSP) Suite version 10. PK-sim® was used to build the linear part of bevacizumab PK (mainly FcRn-mediated), whereas MoBi® was used to develop the target-mediated part. The model was first developed for NHP and used for a priori PK prediction in HV. Then, the refined model obtained in HV was used for a priori prediction in cancer patients. A priori predictions were within 2-fold prediction error (predicted/observed) for both area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum concentration (Cmax) and all the predicted concentrations were within 2-fold average fold error (AFE) and average absolute fold error (AAFE). Sensitivity analysis showed that FcRn-mediated distribution and elimination processes must be accounted for at all mAb concentration levels, whereas the lower the mAb concentration, the more significant the target-mediated elimination. This project is the first step to generalize the full PBPK translational approach in Model-Informed Drug Development (MIDD) of mAbs using OSP Suite.

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Ligands and Receptors in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy responsible for the largest number of deaths in women worldwide. The risk of developing BC is predisposed by many factors such as age, presence of genetic mutations or body weight. The diagnosis is mostly made relatively late, which is why patients are exposed to radical surgical treatments, long-term chemotherapy and lower survival rates. There are no sufficiently sensitive and specific screening tests; therefore, researchers are still looking for new diagnostic biomarkers that would indicate the appearance of neoplastic changes in the initial stage of neoplasm. The VEGF family of proteins (VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, EG-VEGF, PlGF) and their receptors are significant factors in the pathogenesis of BC. They play a significant role in the process of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis in both physiological and pathological conditions. The usefulness of these proteins as potential diagnostic biomarkers has been initially proven. Moreover, the blockage of VEGF-related pathways seems to be a valid therapeutic target. Recent studies have tried to describe novel strategies, including targeting pericytes, use of miRNAs and extracellular tumor-associated vesicles, immunotherapeutic drugs and nanotechnology. This indicates their possible contribution to the formation of breast cancer and their usefulness as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Signaling pathways modulated by miRNAs in breast cancer angiogenesis and new therapeutics

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors by suppressing the expression of target genes, some of which are engaged in angiogenic signaling pathways directly or indirectly. Tumor development and metastasis are dependent on angiogenesis, and it is the main reason for the poor prognosis of cancer patients. New blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels when angiogenesis occurs. Thus, it is essential to develop primary tumors and the spread of cancer to surrounding tissues. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs involved in various biological processes. They can bind to the 3'-UTR of their target genes and prevent them from expressing. MiRNAs control the activity of endothelial cells (ECs) through altering many biological pathways, which plays a key role in cancer progression and angiogenesis. Recent findings revealed that tumor-derived extracellular vesicles participated directly in the control of tumor angiogenesis by delivering miRNAs to ECs. miRNAs recently show great promise in cancer therapies to inhibit angiogenesis. In this study, we showed the miRNA-regulated signaling pathways in tumor angiogenesis with highlighting the anti-angiogenic therapy response and miRNA delivery methods that have been used to inhibit angiogenesis in both in vivo and in vitro studies.

Plasma Levels and Diagnostic Utility of VEGF in a Three-Year Follow-Up of Patients with Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women globally. The increasing worldwide incidence of this type of cancer illustrates the challenge it represents for healthcare providers. Therefore, new tumor markers are constantly being sought. The aim of this study was to assess plasma concentrations and the diagnostic power of VEGF in 100 patients with early-stage breast cancer, both before and after surgical treatment and during a three-year follow-up. The control groups included 50 subjects with benign breast tumors (fibroadenoma) and 50 healthy women. The VEGF concentration was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the CA 15-3 concentration was determined by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). We observed significantly higher preoperative plasma concentrations of VEGF and CA 15-3 in patients with breast cancer. VEGF, similar to CA 15-3, demonstrated high diagnostic utility in the assessment of the long-term efficacy of surgical removal of the tumor. Determinations of VEGF had the highest diagnostic usefulness in the detection of breast cancer recurrence (SE 40%, SP 92%, PPV 67%, NPV 79%). Additionally, the highest values of SE, NPV and AUC were observed during the combined analysis with CA 15-3 (60%; 84%; 0.7074, respectively). Our study suggests a promising diagnostic utility of VEGF in the early stages of breast cancer and in the evaluation of the efficacy of the surgical treatment of breast cancer as well as the detection of breast cancer recurrence, particularly in a combined analysis with CA 15-3 as a new diagnostic panel.

VEGFR-Mediated Cytotoxic Activity of Pulicaria undulata Isolated Metabolites: A Biological Evaluation and In Silico Study

Natural products play a remarkable role not only in the synthesis, design, and discovery of new drugs but also as the most prominent source of drugs and bioactive substances. Adding to the search for new sources of safe innovative antitumor drugs, here we reported a phytochemical study on Pulicaria undulata which revealed promising antiangiogenic agents. Six compounds were isolated and identified as xanthoxyline (1), stigmasterol (2), oleanolic acid (3), salvigenin (4), rhamnetin (5) and dihydroquercetin-4′-methyl ether (6) using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques. Compound 3 and 4 are first reported in Pulicaria genus. Both the extract and isolated compounds were evaluated for in vitro antiproliferative activity against breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). In vivo antiproliferative activity against Ehrlich’s ascites carcinoma (EAC) were also assessed. The P. undulata extract and isolates showed significant reduction in tumor weight, decreased both serum vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) levels and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) expression significantly compared to the control EAC group, suggesting an antiangiogenic activity through the inhibition of VEGF signaling. Besides, they displayed reduction in CD34 expression, confirming their antiangiogenic effect. Moreover, the potential affinity of isolated compounds to human estrogen nuclear receptor-alpha (hER-α), the most recognized modulator of VEGFR-2 expression, was virtually estimated through molecular modeling studies. The most promising activity profiles were assigned to the investigated flavonoids, compounds 4–6, as well as the alkyl-phenylketone, compound 1. Additionally, these four top active compounds showed respective high to intermediate docking scores while possessing preferential binding with hER-α critical pocket residues. Based on the provided data, these isolated compounds illustrated promising inhibitors of VEGF-stimulated angiogenesis, which could be a possible mechanism for their anticancer activity.

Evaluation of Variances in VEGF-A-D and VEGFR-1-3 Expression in the Ishikawa Endometrial Cancer Cell Line Treated with Salinomycin and Anti-Angiogenic/Lymphangiogenic Effect

BACKGROUND

In cancer, an excessive and uncontrolled process of creating new blood and lymphatic vessels that play a key role in the metastasis process can be observed. The Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF-A,-B,-C,-D) family together with their specific receptors (VEGFR-1,-2,- 3) plays a key role in these processes, therefore, it would be reasonable to determine the correct pattern of their expression.

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to assess the use of salinomycin as an anti-angiogenic and anti-lymphangiogenic drug during endometrial cancer by examining changes in the expression pattern of VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3 depending on the treatment period of the Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells with salinomycin in comparison to the control culture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To determine how influential salinomycin was on the expression of both mRNAs, 1 μM of the drug was added to the cell culture and then it was cultured all together for 12, 24 and 48 hour periods. The cells that made up the control culture were not treated with salinomycin. To determine the changes in the expression profile of the selected genes, we used the microarray, techniques: RTqPCR and ELISA (p<0.05).

RESULTS

For all isoforms of VEGF-A-D as well as receptors of VEGFR-1-3, a decrease in expression under the influence of salinomycin was noted. For VEGF-A and VEGFR-1, the difference in the expression between the culture treated with salinomycin in comparison to the control was statistically significant (p=0.0004). In turn, for VEGF-B, the difference between the culture exposed for 24 hours in comparison to the control (p=0.00000) as well as the comparison between H48 vs. C (p=0.00000) was statistically significant. In reference to VEGF-C, VEGFR-2 and VEGFR-3, the statistical analysis showed the significant difference in expression between the culture incubated with the drug for 12, 24 and 48 hours in comparison to the control as well as between the selected times. For all of these comparisons, p=0.00000 was utilized.

CONCLUSION

Salinomycin changes the expression pattern of VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, and VEGFR-3 in endometrial cancer cells. The obtained results suggest that salinomycin might exert the effect via VEGF signaling pathways.

A randomized single-blinded, parallel-arm group feasibility trial evaluating role of pectoral nerve block on serum vascular endothelial growth factor levels in patients undergoing unilateral modified radical mastectomy

Metastatic breast cancer cells carry adult and neonatal variants of NaV1.5 voltage-gated activated Na+ channels involved in cell invasion. We hypothesize that instilling lignocaine near the surgical field to anesthetize the pectoral nerves for analgesia will decrease angiogenesis by blocking voltage-gated activated Na+ channels. Twenty patients undergoing unilateral modified radical mastectomy were randomized in a single-blinded, parallel-arm group feasibility pilot study in two groups. In Group I a catheter was placed between the pectoralis major and minor muscle under direct vision before skin closure. Ten milliliters of 2% lignocaine was given as an initial bolus followed by 10 mL of 2% lignocaine every 8 hours up to 24 hours. Group II did not receive any regional block. Primary measure outcomes were pre and postoperative changes in levels of vascular endothelial growth factor. Secondary outcomes were postoperative pain scores and total rescue analgesia used. Nine patients in each group were analyzed. Baseline demographic data of all females were similar with respect to age, body mass, height and duration of anesthesia. Postoperative mean serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor were decreased by 46.60% from baseline in Group I, while were increased by 84.27% as compared to preoperative values in Group II. Postoperative average pain scores were less in Group I. Postoperative rescue analgesia in 24 hours in Group I was lower than that in Group II. There was no postoperative adverse event related to catheter or lignocaine administration at given doses. Instilling lignocaine to block pectoral nerves provides better postoperative analgesia and decreases a marker of angiogenesis. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee of the Tertiary Centre (All India Institute of Medical Sciences Rishikesh India) (No. AIIMS/IEC/19/1002) on August 9, 2019, and the larger expansion trial was prospectively registered on Clinical Trial Registry India (No. CTRI/2020/01/022784) on January 15, 2020.