Interleukin-4 treatment reduces leukemia burden in acute myeloid leukemia

Exploring the prognostic value of T follicular helper cell levels in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) presents with heterogeneous clinical outcomes, suggesting varied underlying pathogenic mechanisms. This study aims to elucidate the impact of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells on CLL progression and prognosis. Gene expression profile data for CLL were collected from GSE22762 and GSE39671 datasets. Patients were divided into high and low groups using Tfh levels using the optimal cutoff value based on overall survival (OS) and time-to-first treatment (TTFT). Differential expression analysis was performed between these groups, followed by co-expression network analysis and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Marker genes of Tfh cells were used to construct prognostic models. Additionally, 40 CLL patients were recruited and categorized based on median Tfh levels. Marker gene expression was assessed using RT-qPCR and Western Blot, and immune cell levels were determined through flow cytometry. The high group showed better prognosis compared to the low group. Among the 1121 differentially expressed genes identified, five co-expression networks were constructed, with the turquoise module showing the highest correlation with Tfh cells. Genes within this module significantly participate in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity. Tfh cells were significantly negatively correlated with activated B cells and positively correlated with Tregs. The Random Survival Forest (RSF) model identified 10 marker genes, and further analysis using Lasso regression and nomogram selected CLEC4A, RAE1, CD84, and PRDX1 as prognostic markers. In the high group, levels of CLEC4A and RAE1 were higher than in the low group, whereas CD84 and PRDX1 were lower. Flow cytometry revealed that the level of activated B cells in the high Tfh group was significantly lower than in the low Tfh group, while the level of Tregs is significantly higher in the high Tfh group. This study seeks to contribute to a more detailed understanding of the pathogenesis of CLL, delving into the prognostic significance of Tfh.

Targeting Molecular Signaling Pathways and Cytokine Responses to Modulate c-MYC in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Overexpression of the MYC oncogene, encoding c-MYC protein, contributes to the pathogenesis and drug resistance of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and many other hematopoietic malignancies. Although standard chemotherapy has predominated in AML therapy over the past five decades, the clinical outcomes and patient response to treatment remain suboptimal. Deeper insight into the molecular basis of this disease should facilitate the development of novel therapeutics targeting specific molecules and pathways that are dysregulated in AML, including fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) gene mutation and cluster of differentiation 33 (CD33) protein expression. Elevated expression of c-MYC is one of the molecular features of AML that determines the clinical prognosis in patients. Increased expression of c-MYC is also one of the cytogenetic characteristics of drug resistance in AML. However, direct targeting of c-MYC has been challenging due to its lack of binding sites for small molecules. In this review, we focused on the mechanisms involving the bromodomain and extra-terminal (BET) and cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) proteins, phosphoinositide-Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and Janus kinase-signal transduction and activation of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathways, as well as various inflammatory cytokines, as an indirect means of regulating MYC overexpression in AML. Furthermore, we highlight Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs for AML, and the results of preclinical and clinical studies on novel agents that have been or are currently being tested for efficacy and tolerability in AML therapy. Overall, this review summarizes our current knowledge of the molecular processes that promote leukemogenesis, as well as the various agents that intervene in specific pathways and directly or indirectly modulate c-MYC to disrupt AML pathogenesis and drug resistance.

Advances in PGD2/PTGDR2 signaling pathway in tumors: A review

Studies have shown that the prostaglandin (PG) family acts as an allergic inflammatory mediator in malignant diseases. Furthermore, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and its related receptors, as well as the prostaglandin D2 (PGD2)/PGD2 receptor (PTGDR2), play irreplaceable roles in tumorigenesis and anti-tumor therapy. Several experiments have demonstrated that PGD2 signaling through PTGDR2 not only directly inhibits cancer cell survival, proliferation, and migration but also reduces resistance toward conventional chemotherapeutic agents. Recent studies from our and other laboratories have shown that PGD2, its ligands, and related metabolites can significantly alter the tumor microenvironment (TME) by promoting the secretion of chemokines and cytokines, thereby inhibiting tumor progression. Additionally, reduced PGD2 expression has been associated with poor prognosis in patients with gastric, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers, validating the preclinical findings and their clinical relevance. This review focuses on the current understanding of PGD2/PTGDR2 expression patterns and biological activity in cancer, proposing questions to guide the assessment of PGD2 and its receptors as potential targets for effective cancer therapies.

Prognostic impact of ARHGAP43(SH3BP1) in acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy with a heterogeneous prognosis. Novel markers are required to accurately assess the prognosis and formulate treatment plans.

METHODS

The association of ARHGAP family genes with prognostic value in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was assessed using public databases (CCLE, GEPIA, TCGA, and GEO).

RESULTS

Elevated expression of ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) was associated with poor prognosis in patients with acute myeloid leukemia. ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) expression was higher in the poor/adverse prognosis (P < 0.001) and TP53 mutation groups (P = 0.0093). Higher ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) expression was found to be an independent prognostic predictor in multivariate COX regression analysis (HR = 1.317, 95% CI: 1.008-1.720, P = 0.044). Higher ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) expression who did not receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) had shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (OS: median: 7.60 vs. 24.90 months; P = 0.006; PFS: median: 11.40 vs. 27.22 months; P = 0.0096), whereas OS and PFS of patients who received HSCT were unaffected, suggesting that HSCT is a better treatment option for patients with higher ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) expression. KEGG and GSEA analyses revealed that high-expression ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) was related to inflammation and immune response. Additionally, down-regulation of ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) expression inhibited AML cell proliferation.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the clinical potential of ARHGAP43 (SH3BP1) as a novel biomarker of AML, with higher levels indicating a poor prognosis.

Indole-Based and Cyclopentenylindole-Based Analogues Containing Fluorine Group as Potential 18F-Labeled Positron Emission Tomography (PET) G-Protein Coupled Receptor 44 (GPR44) Tracers

Recently, growing evidence of the relationship between G-protein coupled receptor 44 (GPR44) and the inflammation-cancer system has garnered tremendous interest, while the exact role of GPR44 has not been fully elucidated. Currently, there is a strong and urgent need for the development of non-invasive in vivo GPR44 positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers that can be used to aid the exploration of the relationship between inflammation and tumor biologic behavior. Accordingly, the choosing and radiolabeling of existing GPR44 antagonists containing a fluorine group could serve as a viable method to accelerate PET tracers development for in vivo imaging to this purpose. The present study aims to evaluate published (2000-present) indole-based and cyclopentenyl-indole-based analogues of the GPR44 antagonist to guide the development of fluorine-18 labeled PET tracers that can accurately detect inflammatory processes. The selected analogues contained a crucial fluorine nuclide and were characterized for various properties including binding affinity, selectivity, and pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile. Overall, 26 compounds with favorable to strong binding properties were identified. This review highlights the potential of GPR44 analogues for the development of PET tracers to study inflammation and cancer development and ultimately guide the development of targeted clinical therapies.

Petiveria alliacea Reduces Tumor Burden and Metastasis and Regulates the Peripheral Immune Response in a Murine Myeloid Leukemia Model

The poor response, adverse effects and drug resistance to treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have led to searching for safer and more effective therapeutic alternatives. We previously demonstrated that the alcoholic extract of Petiveria alliacea (Esperanza) has a significant in vitro antitumor effect on other tumor cells and also the ability to regulate energy metabolism. We evaluated the effect of the Esperanza extract in vitro and in vivo in a murine model of AML with DA-3/ER-GM cells. First, a chemical characterization of the extract was conducted through liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. In vitro findings showed that the extract modulates tumor metabolism by decreasing glucose uptake and increasing reactive oxygen species, which leads to a reduction in cell proliferation. Then, to evaluate the effect of the extract in vivo, we standardized the mouse model by injecting DA-3/ER-GM cells intravenously. The animals treated with the extract showed a lower percentage of circulating blasts, higher values of hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelets, less infiltration of blasts in the spleen, and greater production of cytokines compared to the control group. These results suggest that the antitumor activity of this extract on DA-3/ER-GM cells can be attributed to the decrease in glycolytic metabolism, its activity as a mitocan, and the possible immunomodulatory effect by reducing tumor proliferation and metastasis.

Activation of GPR44 decreases severity of myeloid leukemia via specific targeting of leukemia initiating stem cells

Relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a significant concern due to persistent leukemia-initiating stem cells (LICs) that are typically not targeted by most existing therapies. Using a murine AML model, human AML cell lines, and patient samples, we show that AML LICs are sensitive to endogenous and exogenous cyclopentenone prostaglandin-J (CyPG), Δ12-PGJ2, and 15d-PGJ2, which are increased upon dietary selenium supplementation via the cyclooxygenase-hematopoietic PGD synthase pathway. CyPGs are endogenous ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and GPR44 (CRTH2; PTGDR2). Deletion of GPR44 in a mouse model of AML exacerbated the disease suggesting that GPR44 activation mediates selenium-mediated apoptosis of LICs. Transcriptomic analysis of GPR44-/- LICs indicated that GPR44 activation by CyPGs suppressed KRAS-mediated MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, to enhance apoptosis. Our studies show the role of GPR44, providing mechanistic underpinnings of the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic properties of selenium and CyPGs in AML.

Role of interleukins in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a hematological malignancy with strong heterogeneity. Immune disorders are a feature of various malignancies, including AML. Interleukins (ILs) and other cytokines participate in a series of biological processes of immune disorders in the microenvironment, and serve as a bridge for communication between various cellular components in the immune system. The role of ILs in AML is complex and pleiotropic. It can not only play an anti-AML role by enhancing anti-leukemia immunity and directly inducing AML cell apoptosis, but also promote the growth, proliferation and drug resistance of AML. These properties of ILs can be used to explore their potential efficacy in disease monitoring, prognosis assessment, and development of new treatment strategies for AML. This review aims to clarify some of the complex roles of ILs in AML and their clinical applications.

Analysis of causes for poor persistence of CAR-T cell therapy in vivo

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T-cell) therapy has been well researched to date because of its ability to target malignant tumor cells. The most common CAR-T cells are CD19 CAR-T cells, which play a large role in B-cell leukemia treatment. However, most CAR-T cells are associated with relapse after clinical treatment, so the quality and persistence of CAR-T cells need to be improved. With continuous optimization, there have been four generations of CARs and each generation of CARs has better quality and durability than the previous generation. In addition, it is important to increase the proportion of memory cells in CAR-T cells. Studies have shown that an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) can lead to dysfunction of CAR-T cells, resulting in decreased cell proliferation and poor persistence. Thus, overcoming the challenges of immunosuppressive molecules and targeting cytokines in the TME can also improve CAR-T cell persistence. In this paper, we explored how to improve the durability of CAR-T cell therapy by improving the structure of CARs, increasing the proportion of memory CAR-T cells and improving the TME.

The cytokine network in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogeneous malignancy of the blood and bone marrow, characterized by clonal expansion of myeloid stem and progenitor cells and rapid disease progression. Chemotherapy has been the first-line treatment for AML for more than 30 years. Application of recent high-throughput next-generation sequencing technologies has revealed significant molecular heterogeneity to AML, which in turn has motivated efforts to develop new, targeted therapies. However, due to the high complexity of this disease, including multiple driver mutations and the coexistence of multiple competing tumorigenic clones, the successful incorporation of these new agents into clinical practice remains challenging. These continuing difficulties call for the identification of innovative therapeutic approaches that are effective for a larger cohort of AML patients. Recent studies suggest that chronic immune stimulation and aberrant cytokine signaling act as triggers for AML initiation and progression, facets of the disease which might be exploited as promising targets in AML treatment. However, despite the greater appreciation of cytokine profiles in AML, the exact functions of cytokines in AML pathogenesis are not fully understood. Therefore, unravelling the molecular basis of the complex cytokine networks in AML is a prerequisite to develop new therapeutic alternatives based on targeting cytokines and their receptors.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors and the Hallmarks of Cancer

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) function as nuclear transcription factors upon the binding of physiological or pharmacological ligands and heterodimerization with retinoic X receptors. Physiological ligands include fatty acids and fatty-acid-derived compounds with low specificity for the different PPAR subtypes (alpha, beta/delta, and gamma). For each of the PPAR subtypes, specific pharmacological agonists and antagonists, as well as pan-agonists, are available. In agreement with their natural ligands, PPARs are mainly focused on as targets for the treatment of metabolic syndrome and its associated complications. Nevertheless, many publications are available that implicate PPARs in malignancies. In several instances, they are controversial for very similar models. Thus, to better predict the potential use of PPAR modulators for personalized medicine in therapies against malignancies, it seems necessary and timely to review the three PPARs in relation to the didactic concept of cancer hallmark capabilities. We previously described the functions of PPAR beta/delta with respect to the cancer hallmarks and reviewed the implications of all PPARs in angiogenesis. Thus, the current review updates our knowledge on PPAR beta and the hallmarks of cancer and extends the concept to PPAR alpha and PPAR gamma.