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Shahraz A, Penney M, Candido J, Opoku-Ansah G, Neubauer M, Eyles J, Ojo O, Liu N, Luheshi NM, Phipps A, Vishwanathan K. A mechanistic PK/PD model of AZD0171 (anti-LIF) to support Phase II dose selection. CPT Pharmacometrics Syst Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 39041713 DOI: 10.1002/psp4.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
AZD0171 (INN: Falbikitug) is being developed as a humanized monoclonal antibody (mAb), immunoglobulin G subclass 1 (IgG1), which binds specifically to the immunosuppressive human cytokine leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and inhibits downstream signaling by blocking recruitment of glycoprotein 130 (gp130) to the LIF receptor (LIFR) subunit (gp190) and the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and is intended to treat adult participants with advanced solid tumors. LIF is a pleiotropic cytokine (and a member of the IL-6 family of cytokines) involved in many physiological and pathological processes and is highly expressed in a subset of solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colon, ovarian, prostate, and pancreatic cancer. The aim of this work was to develop a mechanistic PK/PD model to investigate the effect of AZD0171 on tumor LIF levels, predict the level of downstream signaling complex (LIF:LIFR:gp130) inhibition, and examine the dose-response relationship to support dose selection for a Phase II clinical study. Modeling results show that tumor LIF is inhibited in a dose-dependent manner with >90% inhibition for 95% of patients at the Phase II clinical dose of 1500 mg Q2W.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azar Shahraz
- Clinical Pharmacology & Quantitative Pharmacology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mark Penney
- Early Oncology DMPK, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jim Eyles
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Nelson Liu
- Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Alex Phipps
- Clinical Pharmacology & Quantitative Pharmacology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karthick Vishwanathan
- Clinical Pharmacology & Quantitative Pharmacology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Waltham, Massachusetts, USA
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Paul I, Roy A, Chakrabarti D, Nandi C, Ray S. Mutations in LIFR rewire the JAK/STAT signaling pathway: A study unveiling mechanistic details of Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome. Comput Biol Med 2024; 179:108797. [PMID: 38968765 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
Stüve-Wiedemann syndrome (SWS), a rare autosomal recessive disorder, characterized by diminutive size, curvature of the elongated bones, bent fingers, episodes of heightened body temperature, respiratory distress or periods of breath-holding, and challenges with feeding, especially causes fatality in infants. SWS is an outcome of potential missense mutations in the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor gene reflected as numerous amino acid mutations at protein level. Employing in silico tools and techniques like mutational screening with Pred_MutHTP, I-Mutant2.0, PANTHER.db, PolyPhen, to classify mutations as deleterious/destabilizing, in conjunction with experimental data analysis, P136A and S279P emerged as 'effect'-causing mutations. Pre-existing knowledge suggests, SWS progression is effectuated conformationally altered and dysfunctional LIFR, unable to bind to LIF and further form the LIF/LIFR/gp130 signalling complex. To gain functional insights into the effect of the said mutations on the wild type protein, an all-atom, explicit, solvent molecular dynamics simulation was performed following docking approaches. Consequently, referring to the RMSD, RMSF, protein dynamic network analysis, energy landscape plots and domain motion analysis, it was revealed that unbound LIFR_WT was more prone to LIF binding as usual whereas the mutants exhibited considerable domain closure to inhibit LIF binding. We conducted binding affinity analysis via MM/GBSA and dissociation constant estimation after LIFR-LIF docking and found the WT_complex to be more stable and compact as a whole when compared to the flexible mutant complexes thus being associated with SWS. Our study offers a route for understanding molecular level implications upon LIFR mutations which opens an avenue for therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishani Paul
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | - Alankar Roy
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | | | - Chandreyee Nandi
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India
| | - Sujay Ray
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Kolkata, India.
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Zhang S, Xue X, Chen F, Yang Y, Zhang N, Chen Y, Wu W, Wang J, Zheng N. COL5A2 drives regorafenib resistance-induced metastatic phenotype via reducing LIFR expression in hepatocellular carcinoma. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2024; 56:997-1010. [PMID: 38818582 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2024058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Systemic therapies, the ultimate strategies for patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), are suffering from serious clinical challenges, such as the occurrence and development of drug resistance. Treatment resistance aggravates tumor progression partly by inducing tumor metastasis. Regorafenib-resistant HCC cells exhibit a highly striking metastatic phenotype, but the detailed mechanisms underlying these aggressive behaviors remain elusive. Here, we conduct transcriptome sequencing analysis to identify COL5A2 as a crucial driver of the metastatic characteristics of regorafenib-resistant HCC cells. COL5A2 is aberrantly highly expressed in resistant cells, and its genetic depletion significantly suppresses proliferation, migration, invasion, vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation and lung metastasis in vitro and in vivo, concomitant with the downregulation of VE-cadherin, EphA2, Twist1, p-p38 and p-STAT3 expressions. LIFR is confirmed to be an essential downstream molecule of COL5A2, and its expression is observably elevated by COL5A2 depletion. Ectopic overexpression of LIFR drastically attenuates the proliferation, migration, invasion and VM of regorafenib-resistant cells and represses the expressions of VM-related molecules and the activation of p38/STAT3 signaling pathway. Interestingly, rescue experiments show that the inhibition of the above aggressive features of resistant cells by COL5A2 loss is clearly alleviated by silencing of LIFR. Collectively, our results reveal that COL5A2 promotes the ability of regorafenib-resistant HCC cells to acquire a metastatic phenotype by attenuating LIFR expression and suggest that therapeutic regimens targeting the COL5A2/LIFR axis may be beneficial for HCC patients with therapeutic resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoqin Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Xuezhen Xue
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Fengdan Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yahan Yang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Pharmacology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Wenda Wu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Jichuang Wang
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Translational Research in Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
| | - Ning Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, The School of Pharmacy, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Pharmacology, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, China
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Nguyen HN, Jeong Y, Kim Y, Kim YH, Athar H, Castaldi PJ, Hersh CP, Padera RF, Sholl LM, Vivero M, Sharma NS, Yun J, Merriam LT, Yuan K, Kim EY, Brenner MB. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) receptor amplifies pathogenic activation of fibroblasts in lung fibrosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.21.595153. [PMID: 38826450 PMCID: PMC11142130 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.21.595153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Fibrosis drives end-organ damage in many diseases. However, clinical trials targeting individual upstream activators of fibroblasts, such as TGFβ, have largely failed. Here, we target the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) as a "master amplifier" of multiple upstream activators of lung fibroblasts. In idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most common fibrotic lung disease, we found that lung myofibroblasts had high LIF expression. Further, TGFβ1, one of the key drivers of fibrosis, upregulated LIF expression in IPF fibroblasts. In vitro anti-LIFR antibody blocking on human IPF lung fibroblasts reduced induction of profibrotic genes downstream of TGFβ1, IL-4 and IL-13. Further, siRNA silencing of LIFR in IPF precision cut lung slices reduced expression of fibrotic proteins. Together, we find that LIFR drives an autocrine positive feedback loop that amplifies and sustains pathogenic activation of IPF fibroblasts downstream of multiple external stimuli, implicating LIFR as a therapeutic target in fibrosis. Significance Statement Fibroblasts have a central role in the pathogenesis of fibrotic diseases. However, due to in part to multiple profibrotic stimuli, targeting a single activator of fibroblasts, like TGFβ, has not yielded successful clinical treatments. We hypothesized that a more effective therapeutic strategy is identifying a downstream "master amplifier" of a range of upstream profibrotic stimuli. This study identifies the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) on fibrotic lung fibroblasts amplifies multiple profibrotic stimuli, such as IL-13 and TGFβ. Blocking LIFR reduced fibrosis in ex vivo lung tissue from patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). LIFR, acting as a master amplifier downstream of fibroblast activation, offers an alternative therapeutic strategy for fibrotic diseases.
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Rios SA, Oyervides S, Uribe D, Reyes AM, Fanniel V, Vazquez J, Keniry M. Emerging Therapies for Glioblastoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1485. [PMID: 38672566 PMCID: PMC11048459 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16081485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is most commonly a primary brain tumor and the utmost malignant one, with a survival rate of approximately 12-18 months. Glioblastoma is highly heterogeneous, demonstrating that different types of cells from the same tumor can manifest distinct gene expression patterns and biological behaviors. Conventional therapies such as temozolomide, radiation, and surgery have limitations. As of now, there is no cure for glioblastoma. Alternative treatment methods to eradicate glioblastoma are discussed in this review, including targeted therapies to PI3K, NFKβ, JAK-STAT, CK2, WNT, NOTCH, Hedgehog, and TGFβ pathways. The highly novel application of oncolytic viruses and nanomaterials in combating glioblastoma are also discussed. Despite scores of clinical trials for glioblastoma, the prognosis remains poor. Progress in breaching the blood-brain barrier with nanomaterials and novel avenues for targeted and combination treatments hold promise for the future development of efficacious glioblastoma therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Megan Keniry
- School of Integrative Biological and Chemical Sciences, College of Sciences, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, TX 78539, USA; (S.A.R.); (D.U.); (A.M.R.)
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Ljunggren M, Zhou X, Theorell-Haglöw J, Janson C, Franklin KA, Emilsson Ö, Lindberg E. Sleep Apnea Indices Associated with Markers of Inflammation and Cardiovascular Disease: A Proteomic Study in the MUSTACHE Cohort. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2024; 21:165-169. [PMID: 37788298 PMCID: PMC10867909 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202305-472rl] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
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Streitfeld WS, Dalton AC, Howley BV, Howe PH. PCBP1 regulates LIFR through FAM3C to maintain breast cancer stem cell self-renewal and invasiveness. Cancer Biol Ther 2023; 24:2271638. [PMID: 37927213 PMCID: PMC10629429 DOI: 10.1080/15384047.2023.2271638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The poly(rC) binding protein 1 gene (PCBP1) encodes the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein E1 (hnRNPE1), a nucleic acid-binding protein that plays a tumor-suppressive role in the mammary epithelium by regulating phenotypic plasticity and cell fate. Following the loss of PCBP1 function, the FAM3C gene (encoding the Interleukin-like EMT inducer, or "ILEI" protein) and the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor (LIFR) gene are upregulated. Interaction between FAM3C and LIFR in the extracellular space induces phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3). Overexpression and/or hyperactivity of STAT3 has been detected in 40% of breast cancer cases and is associated with a poor prognosis. Herein, we characterize feed-forward regulation of LIFR expression in response to FAM3C/LIFR/STAT3 signaling in mammary epithelial cells. We show that PCBP1 upregulates LIFR transcription through activity at the LIFR promoter, and that FAM3C participates in transcriptional regulation of LIFR. Additionally, our bioinformatic analysis reveals a signature of transcriptional regulation associated with FAM3C/LIFR interaction and identifies the TWIST1 transcription factor as a downstream effector that participates in the maintenance of LIFR expression. Finally, we characterize the effect of LIFR expression in cell-based experiments that demonstrate the promotion of invasion, migration, and self-renewal of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), consistent with previous studies linking LIFR expression to tumor initiation and metastasis in mammary epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- William S. Streitfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Annamarie C. Dalton
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Breege V. Howley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Philip H. Howe
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Liu T, Joshu CE, Lu J, Prizment A, Chatterjee N, Coresh J, Wu L, Platz EA. External validation of genetically predicted protein biomarkers for pancreatic cancer risk using aptamer-based plasma levels: A prospective analysis in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Int J Cancer 2023; 153:1201-1216. [PMID: 37338014 PMCID: PMC11178147 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.34624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Genetically predicted proteins have been associated with pancreatic cancer risk previously. We aimed to externally validate the associations of 53 candidate proteins with pancreatic cancer risk using directly measured, prediagnostic levels. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 10 355 US Black and White men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Aptamer-based plasma proteomic profiling was previously performed using blood collected in 1993 to 1995, from which the proteins were selected. By 2015 (median: 20 years), 93 incident pancreatic cancer cases were ascertained. Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for protein tertiles, and adjust for age, race, and known risk factors. Of the 53 proteins, three were statistically significantly, positively associated with risk-GLCE (tertile 3 vs 1: HR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.12-3.13; P-trend = 0.01), GOLM1 (aptamer 1: HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.16-3.37; P-trend = 0.01; aptamer 2: HR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.07-3.24; P-trend = 0.05), and QSOX2 (HR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.09-3.58; P-trend = 0.05); two were inversely associated-F177A (HR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.35-1.00; P-trend = 0.05) and LIFsR (HR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.32-0.93; P-trend = 0.03); and one showed a statistically significant lower risk in the middle tertile-endoglin (HR = 0.50, 95% CI: 0.29-0.86); by chance, we expected significant associations for 2.65 proteins. FAM3D, IP10, sTie-1 (positive); SEM6A and JAG1 (inverse) were suggestively associated with risk. Of these 11, 10 proteins-endoglin, FAM3D, F177A, GLCE, GOLM1, JAG1, LIFsR, QSOX2, SEM6A and sTie-1-were consistent in direction of association with the discovery studies. This prospective study validated or supports 10 proteins as associated with pancreatic cancer risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanxin Liu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Corinne E. Joshu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jiayun Lu
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna Prizment
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Nilanjan Chatterjee
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Josef Coresh
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lang Wu
- University of Hawaii Cancer Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Platz
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Zhang F, Wang Y, Li H, Li L, Yang X, You X, Tang L. Pan-cancer analysis identifies LIFR as a prognostic and immunological biomarker for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1118906. [PMID: 36925915 PMCID: PMC10011451 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1118906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) exhibits significant tumor-promoting function, while its cognate receptor (LIFR) is considered to act as either a tumor promoter or suppressor. Dysregulation of LIF and LIFR is associated with the initiation, progression and metastasis of multiple cancer entities. Although increasing numbers of studies are revealing an indispensable critical role of LIFR in tumorigenesis for various different cancers, no systematic analysis of LIFR has appeared thus far. Methods Here, we comprehensively analyzed the expression profile and prognostic value of LIFR, and correlations between LIFR and the infiltration of immune cells and clinicopathological parameters across different tumor types using several bioinformatic tools. The expression profile of LIFR in various tumor types and clinical stages was investigated using the TIMER2 and GEPIA2 databases. Genetic alternations of LIFR were extracted from cBioPortal. The prognostic value of LIFR was assessed using GEPIA2 and Sanger box databases, and correlations between LIFR expression and immune infiltration were analyzed using the CIBERSORT method and TIMER2 database. The correlations between LIFR expression and immune and stromal scores were assessed using ESTIMATE. We also analyzed correlations between LIFR and immunoregulators. Finally, we detected an effect of LIFR on Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma (UCEC) and evaluated the expression level of LIFR in clinical UCEC samples. Results Aberrant expression of LIFR in cancers and its prognosis ability, especially in UCEC was documented. Significantly lower levels of LIFR expression level correlated with better prognosis in multiple tumor types. LIFR expression was positively correlated with the abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, LIFR expression was strongly associated with the presence of immune modulators and checkpoint genes. Overexpression of LIFR suppressed the migration and invasion of UCEC cells in vitro. Conclusion Our pan-cancer detection data provided a novel understanding of the roles of LIFR in oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yali Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Hongjuan Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyan You
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lina Tang
- Metabolic Disease Research Center, Zhengzhou Central Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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Maternal Undernutrition Induces Cell Signalling and Metabolic Dysfunction in Undifferentiated Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2022; 19:767-783. [PMID: 36517693 PMCID: PMC10070223 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10490-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Peri-conceptional environment can induce permanent changes in embryo phenotype which alter development and associate with later disease susceptibility. Thus, mouse maternal low protein diet (LPD) fed exclusively during preimplantation is sufficient to lead to cardiovascular, metabolic and neurological dysfunction in adult offspring. Embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines were generated from LPD and control NPD C57BL/6 blastocysts and characterised by transcriptomics, metabolomics, bioinformatics and molecular/cellular studies to assess early potential mechanisms in dietary environmental programming. Previously, we showed these lines retain cellular and epigenetic characteristics of LPD and NPD embryos after several passages. Here, three main changes were identified in LPD ESC lines. First, their derivation capacity was reduced but pluripotency marker expression was similar to controls. Second, LPD lines had impaired Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway with altered gene expression of several regulators (e.g., Maff, Rassf1, JunD), reduced ERK1/2 signalling capacity and poorer cell survival characteristics which may contribute to reduced derivation. Third, LPD lines had impaired glucose metabolism comprising reduced upstream enzyme expression (e.g., Gpi, Mpi) and accumulation of metabolites (e.g., glucose-6-P, fructose-6-P) above the phosphofructokinase (PFK) gateway with PFK enzyme activity reduced. ESC lines may therefore permit investigation of peri-conceptional programming mechanisms with reduced need for animal experimentation.
Graphical Abstract
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Schraverus H, Larondelle Y, Page MM. Beyond the Lab: What We Can Learn about Cancer from Wild and Domestic Animals. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14246177. [PMID: 36551658 PMCID: PMC9776354 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14246177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer research has benefited immensely from the use of animal models. Several genetic tools accessible in rodent models have provided valuable insight into cellular and molecular mechanisms linked to cancer development or metastasis and various lines are available. However, at the same time, it is important to accompany these findings with those from alternative or non-model animals to offer new perspectives into the understanding of tumor development, prevention, and treatment. In this review, we first discuss animals characterized by little or no tumor development. Cancer incidence in small animals, such as the naked mole rat, blind mole rat and bats have been reported as almost negligible and tumor development may be inhibited by increased defense and repair mechanisms, altered cell cycle signaling and reduced rates of cell migration to avoid tumor microenvironments. On the other end of the size spectrum, large animals such as elephants and whales also appear to have low overall cancer rates, possibly due to gene replicates that are involved in apoptosis and therefore can inhibit uncontrolled cell cycle progression. While it is important to determine the mechanisms that lead to cancer protection in these animals, we can also take advantage of other animals that are highly susceptible to cancer, especially those which develop tumors similar to humans, such as carnivores or poultry. The use of such animals does not require the transplantation of malignant cancer cells or use of oncogenic substances as they spontaneously develop tumors of similar presentation and pathophysiology to those found in humans. For example, some tumor suppressor genes are highly conserved between humans and domestic species, and various tumors develop in similar ways or because of a common environment. These animals are therefore of great interest for broadening perspectives and techniques and for gathering information on the tumor mechanisms of certain types of cancer. Here we present a detailed review of alternative and/or non-model vertebrates, that can be used at different levels of cancer research to open new perspectives and fields of action.
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Wang J, Wang K. New insights into Chlamydia pathogenesis: Role of leukemia inhibitory factor. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1029178. [PMID: 36329823 PMCID: PMC9623337 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1029178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is the leading cause of bacterial sexually transmitted infections worldwide. Since the symptoms of Ct infection are often subtle or absent, most people are unaware of their infection until they are tested or develop severe complications such as infertility. It is believed that the primary culprit of Ct-associated tissue damage is unresolved chronic inflammation, resulting in aberrant production of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, as well as dysregulated tissue influx of innate and adaptive immune cells. A member of the IL-6 cytokine family, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), is one of the cytokines induced by Ct infection but its role in Ct pathogenesis is unclear. In this article, we review the biology of LIF and LIF receptor (LIFR)-mediated signaling pathways, summarize the physiological role of LIF in the reproductive system, and discuss the impact of LIF in chronic inflammatory conditions and its implication in Ct pathogenesis. Under normal circumstances, LIF is produced to maintain epithelial homeostasis and tissue repair, including the aftermath of Ct infection. However, LIF/LIFR-mediated signaling – particularly prolonged strong signaling – can gradually transform the microenvironment of the fallopian tube by altering the fate of epithelial cells and the cellular composition of epithelium. This harmful transformation of epithelium may be a key process that leads to an enhanced risk of infertility, ectopic pregnancy and cancer following Ct infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Wang
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Izaak Walton Killam (IWK) Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
- *Correspondence: Jun Wang,
| | - Katherine Wang
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Halifax, NS, Canada
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