Soluble TL1A is sufficient for activation of death receptor 3

The genomic landscape of the immune system in lung cancer: present insights and continuing investigations

Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, contributing to over a million cancer-related deaths annually. Despite extensive research investigating the genetic factors associated with lung cancer susceptibility and prognosis, few studies have explored genetic predispositions regarding the immune system. This review discusses the most recent genomic findings related to the susceptibility to or protection against lung cancer, patient survival, and therapeutic responses. The results demonstrated the effect of immunogenetic variations in immune system-related genes associated with innate and adaptive immune responses, cytokine, and chemokine secretions, and signaling pathways. These genetic diversities may affect the crosstalk between tumor and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, influencing cancer progression, invasion, and prognosis. Given the considerable variability in the individual immunegenomics profiles, future studies should prioritize large-scale analyses to identify potential genetic variations associated with lung cancer using highthroughput technologies across different populations. This approach will provide further information for predicting response to targeted therapy and promotes the development of new measures for individualized cancer treatment.

The ever-expanding role of cytokine receptor DR3 in T cells

Death Receptor 3 (DR3) is a cytokine receptor of the Tumor Necrosis Factor receptor superfamily that plays a multifaceted role in both innate and adaptive immunity. Based on the death domain motif in its cytosolic tail, DR3 had been proposed and functionally affirmed as a trigger of apoptosis. Further studies, however, also revealed roles of DR3 in other cellular pathways, including inflammation, survival, and proliferation. DR3 is expressed in various cell types, including T cells, B cells, innate lymphocytes, myeloid cells, fibroblasts, and even outside the immune system. Because DR3 is mainly expressed on T cells, DR3-mediated immune perturbations leading to autoimmunity and other diseases were mostly attributed to DR3 activation of T cells. However, which T cell subset and what T effector functions are controlled by DR3 to drive these processes remain incompletely understood. DR3 engagement was previously found to alter CD4 T helper subset differentiation, expand the Foxp3+ Treg cell pool, and maintain intraepithelial γδ T cells in the gut. Recent studies further unveiled a previously unacknowledged aspect of DR3 in regulating innate-like invariant NKT (iNKT) cell activation, expanding the scope of DR3-mediated immunity in T lineage cells. Importantly, in the context of iNKT cells, DR3 ligation exerted costimulatory effects in agonistic TCR signaling, unveiling a new regulatory framework in T cell activation and proliferation. The current review is aimed at summarizing such recent findings on the role of DR3 on conventional T cells and innate-like T cells and discussing them in the context of immunopathogenesis.

The Role of Progranulin (PGRN) in the Pathogenesis of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents the most common and aggressive malignant form of brain tumour in adults and is characterized by an extremely poor prognosis with dismal survival rates. Currently, expanding concepts concerning the pathophysiology of GBM are inextricably linked with neuroinflammatory phenomena. On account of this fact, the identification of novel pathomechanisms targeting neuroinflammation seems to be crucial in terms of yielding successful individual therapeutic strategies. In recent years, the pleiotropic growth factor progranulin (PGRN) has attracted significant attention in the neuroscience and oncological community regarding its neuroimmunomodulatory and oncogenic functions. This review of the literature summarizes and updates contemporary knowledge about PGRN, its associated receptors and signalling pathway involvement in GBM pathogenesis, indicating possible cellular and molecular mechanisms with potential diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets in order to yield successful individual therapeutic strategies. After a review of the literature, we found that there are possible PGRN-targeted therapeutic approaches for implementation in GBM treatment algorithms both in preclinical and future clinical studies. Furthermore, PGRN-targeted therapies exerted their highest efficacy in combination with other established chemotherapeutic agents, such as temozolomide. The results of the analysis suggested that the possible implementation of routine determinations of PGRN and its associated receptors in tumour tissue and biofluids could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of GBM. Furthermore, promising preclinical applications of PGRN-related findings should be investigated in clinical studies in order to create new diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms for GBM treatment.

B7-H3 promotes angiogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

The primary pathological changes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) include chronic synovial inflammation, bone destruction, and aggressive pannus formation on cartilage, in which angiogenesis plays a critical role. B7-H3, an important immune checkpoint molecule, represents a novel target in tumor therapy and plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. However, its biological mechanism in RA remains unclear.

METHODS

Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the histological characteristics and expression of B7-H3, CD34, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with RA and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. ELISA was used to detect VEGF, soluble B7-H3, and disease markers in the peripheral blood of patients. A monoclonal anti-B7-H3 antibody was used to treat CIA mice by blocking B7-H3-mediated signaling.

RESULTS

The ELISA and HE staining results showed a positive correlation between the expression of B7-H3 and the degree of joint cavity destruction and pannus formation. B7-H3 expression also correlated with increased expression of the vessel biomarkers CD34 and VEGF. Anti-B7-H3 effectively reduced pannus formation in CIA mice.

CONCLUSION

B7-H3 modulates angiogenic activity in the joint synovium, demonstrating its therapeutic value in the context of RA.

Dysregulated PD-L2 is correlated with disease activity and inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

The programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway has been shown to deliver an inhibitory signal, and aberrant expression of the PD-1 molecule and/or its ligand programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been demonstrated in human diseases, while its other ligand, programmed death ligand 2 (PD-L2), has rarely been studied. Here, we investigated the expression of PD-L2 in synovial tissue and blood from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Soluble PD-L2 and inflammatory cytokine levels in serum among healthy controls and patients with RA were compared via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Membrane PD-L2 on monocytes in blood was analyzed through flow cytometry (FCM). The different expression levels of PD-L2 between the RA and non-RA synovium were semi-quantified by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. The soluble PD-L2 levels in serum from patients with RA were significantly lower than those in healthy subjects, correlating with active parameters (rheumatoid factor) and inflammatory cytokine secretion. The FCM results showed that patients with RA had significantly increased percentages of PD-L2-expressing CD14+ monocytes and correlated with inflammatory cytokines. PD-L2 expression on macrophages in the synovium from patients with RA was recorded by IHC staining with a higher score, and its correlation with pathological scores and clinical features was determined. Together, our results revealed aberrant expression of PD-L2 in RA, which may be a promising biomarker and therapeutic target associated with the pathogenesis of RA.

TL1A induces apoptosis via DR3 in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

Tumor necrosis factor like ligand 1A (TL1A), a member of TNF superfamily, regulates inflammatory response and immune defense. TL1A homologues have recently been discovered in fish, but their functions have not been studied. In this study, a TL1A homologue was identified in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and its bioactivities were investigated. The grass carp tl1a (Citl1a) gene was constitutively expressed in tissues, with the highest expression detected in the liver. It was upregulated in response to infection with Aeromonas hydrophila. The recombinant CiTL1A was produced in bacteria and was shown to stimulate the expression of il1β, tnfα, caspase 8 and ifnγ in the primary head kidney leucocytes. In addition, co-immunoprecipitation assay revealed that CiTL1A interacted with DR3 and induced apoptosis via activation of DR3. The results demonstrate that TL1A regulates inflammation and apoptosis and is involved in the immune defense against bacterial infection in fish.

Meloxicam Inhibits Apoptosis in Neurons by Deactivating Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily Member 25, Leading to the Decreased Cleavage of DNA Fragmentation Factor Subunit α in Alzheimer's Disease

Neuronal apoptosis is considered to be a critical cause of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recently, meloxicam has shown neuroprotective effects; however, the inherent mechanisms are highly overlooked. Using APP/PS1 transgenic (Tg) mice as in vivo animal models, we found that meloxicam inhibits apoptosis in neurons by deactivating tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 25 (TNFRSF25), leading to the suppression of the expression of fas-associated protein with death domain (FADD) and the cleavage of DNA fragmentation factor subunit α (DFFA) and cysteine aspartic acid protease-3 (caspase 3) via β-amyloid protein (Aβ)-depressing mechanisms. Moreover, the meloxicam treatment blocked the effects of β-amyloid protein oligomers (Aβo) on stimulating the synthesis of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and TNF-like ligand 1A (TL1A) in neuroblastoma (N) 2a cells. TNF-α and TL1A induce apoptosis in neurons via TNFR- and TNFRSF25-dependent caspase 3-activating mechanisms, respectively. Knocking down the expression of TNFRSF25 blocked the effects of TL1A on inducing apoptosis in neurons by deactivating the signaling cascades of FADD, caspase 3, and DFFA. Consistently, TNFRSF25 shRNA blocked the effects of Aβo on inducing neuronal apoptosis, which was corroborated by the efficacy of meloxicam in inhibiting Aβo-induced neuronal apoptosis. By ameliorating neuronal apoptosis, meloxicam improved memory loss in APP/PS1 Tg mice.

Role of TL1A in Inflammatory Autoimmune Diseases: A Comprehensive Review

TL1A, also called TNFSF15, is a member of tumor necrosis factor family. It is expressed in different immune cell, such as monocyte, macrophage, dendritic cell, T cell and non-immune cell, for example, synovial fibroblast, endothelial cell. TL1A competitively binds to death receptor 3 or decoy receptor 3, providing stimulatory signal for downstream signaling pathways, and then regulates proliferation, activation, apoptosis of and cytokine, chemokine production in effector cells. Recent findings showed that TL1A was abnormally expressed in autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, primary biliary cirrhosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis. In vivo and in vitro studies further demonstrated that TL1A was involved in development and pathogenesis of these diseases. In this study, we comprehensively discussed the complex immunological function of TL1A and focused on recent findings of the pleiotropic activity conducted by TL1A in inflammatory autoimmune disease. Finish of the study will provide new ideas for developing therapeutic strategies for these diseases by targeting TL1A.

Analysis of therapeutic potential of preclinical models based on DR3/TL1A pathway modulation (Review)

Death receptor 3 (DR3) and its corresponding ligand, tumor necrosis factor-like ligand 1A (TL1A), belong to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily. Signaling via this receptor-ligand pair results in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Effector lymphocytes can be activated to exert pro-inflammatory activity by triggering the DR3/TL1A pathway. By contrast, DR3/TL1A signaling also induces expansion of the suppressive function of regulatory T cells, which serve an important role in exerting anti-inflammatory functions and maintaining immune homeostasis. Preclinical evidence indicates that neutralizing and agonistic antibodies, as well as ligand-based approaches targeting the DR3/TL1A pathway, may be used to treat diseases, including inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. Accumulating evidence has suggested that modulating the DR3/TL1A pathway is a promising therapeutic approach for patients with these diseases. This review discusses preclinical models to gauge the progress of therapeutic strategies for diseases involving the DR3/TL1A pathway to aid in drug development.

Receptor Oligomerization and Its Relevance for Signaling by Receptors of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor Superfamily

With the exception of a few signaling incompetent decoy receptors, the receptors of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily (TNFRSF) are signaling competent and engage in signaling pathways resulting in inflammation, proliferation, differentiation, and cell migration and also in cell death induction. TNFRSF receptors (TNFRs) become activated by ligands of the TNF superfamily (TNFSF). TNFSF ligands (TNFLs) occur as trimeric type II transmembrane proteins but often also as soluble ligand trimers released from the membrane-bound form by proteolysis. The signaling competent TNFRs are efficiently activated by the membrane-bound TNFLs. The latter recruit three TNFR molecules, but there is growing evidence that this is not sufficient to trigger all aspects of TNFR signaling; rather, the formed trimeric TNFL–TNFR complexes have to cluster secondarily in the cell-to-cell contact zone for full TNFR activation. With respect to their response to soluble ligand trimers, the signaling competent TNFRs can be subdivided into two groups. TNFRs of one group, designated as category I TNFRs, are robustly activated by soluble ligand trimers. The receptors of a second group (category II TNFRs), however, failed to become properly activated by soluble ligand trimers despite high affinity binding. The limited responsiveness of category II TNFRs to soluble TNFLs can be overcome by physical linkage of two or more soluble ligand trimers or, alternatively, by anchoring the soluble ligand molecules to the cell surface or extracellular matrix. This suggests that category II TNFRs have a limited ability to promote clustering of trimeric TNFL–TNFR complexes outside the context of cell–cell contacts. In this review, we will focus on three aspects on the relevance of receptor oligomerization for TNFR signaling: (i) the structural factors which promote clustering of free and liganded TNFRs, (ii) the signaling pathway specificity of the receptor oligomerization requirement, and (iii) the consequences for the design and development of TNFR agonists.

Analysis of Ligand-Receptor Interactions Using Bioluminescent TNF Superfamily (TNFSF) Ligand Fusion Proteins

Quantitative analysis of the binding of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily ligands (TNFLs) to TNF receptor superfamily receptors (TNFRs) is of crucial relevance for the understanding of the mechanisms of TNFR activation. Ligand binding studies are also a basic method required for the development and characterization of agonists and antagonists of TNFRs. TNFL-induced formation of fully active TNFR signaling complexes is a complex process. It involves not only reorganization of monomeric and inactive pre-assembled TNFR complexes into trimeric liganded TNFR complexes but also the secondary interaction of the latter. Moreover, various factors, e.g., TNFR modification, special membrane domains, or accessory proteins, may affect TNFL-TNFR interactions in a TNFR type-specific manner. Widely used cell-free methods for the analysis of protein-protein interactions are thus of limited value for the analysis of TNFL-TNFR interactions and makes therefore in this case cellular binding studies to the method of choice. We and others observed that the genetic fusion of monomeric protein domains to the N-terminus of soluble TNFLs has typically no effect on activity and TNFR binding. We exploited this to generate bioluminescent TNFL fusion proteins which allow simple, sensitive, and highly reproducible cellular binding studies for the investigation of TNFL-TNFR interactions. Here, we report detailed protocols for the production of TNFL fusion proteins with the luciferase of Gaussia princeps and the use of these fusion proteins in various types of cellular binding studies.

Functional roles in cell signaling of adaptor protein TRADD from a structural perspective

TRADD participates in various receptor signaling pathways and plays vital roles in many biological activities, including cell survival and apoptosis, in different cellular contexts. TRADD has two distinct functional domains, a TRAF-binding domain at the N-terminus and a death domain (DD) at the C-terminus. The TRAF binding domain of TRADD folds into an α-β plait topology and is mainly responsible for binding TRAF2, while the TRADD-DD can interact with a variety of DD-containing proteins, including receptors and intracellular signaling molecules. After activation of specific receptors such as TNFR1 and DR3, TRADD can bind to the receptor through DD-DD interaction, creating a membrane-proximal platform for the recruitment of downstream molecules to propagate cellular signals. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the studies of the structural mechanism of TRADD adaptor functions for NF-κB activation and apoptosis induction. We also provide suggestions for future structure research related to TRADD-mediated signaling pathways.

First-in-human, randomized dose-escalation study of the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of PF-06480605 in healthy subjects

AIMS

Human genetic, tissue expression, proteomics, transcriptomics and nonclinical studies implicate tumour necrosis factor α-like ligand 1A (TL1A) as a novel target in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PF-06480605, a fully human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody, targets TL1A. This first-in-human, Phase 1, dose-escalation study assessed safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and immunogenicity of intravenous (IV) and subcutaneous (SC) PF-06480605 in healthy subjects (NCT01989143).

METHODS

Ninety-two subjects were randomized to single ascending doses (SAD), PF-06480605 1 mg, 3 mg, 10 mg, 30 mg, 100 mg, 300 mg, 600 mg or 800 mg IV, or multiple ascending doses (MAD), PF-06480605 3 × 500 mg IV, or 3 × 30 mg, 3 × 100 mg, or 3 × 300 mg SC every 2 weeks for three doses, or placebo. Safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity profiles and total TL1A, anti-drug antibody (ADA) and neutralizing antibody (NAb) levels were assessed at pre-determined times.

RESULTS

PF-06480605 SAD up to 800 mg IV and MAD up to 300 mg ×3 SC and 500 mg ×3 IV were well tolerated. Overall, there were 45 and 44 treatment-emergent adverse events in SAD and MAD cohorts, respectively, and no deaths or serious adverse events. PF-06480605 exposure generally increased dose-dependently. ADA and NAb levels did not impact safety, pharmacokinetics, or pharmacodynamics at higher doses. Target engagement was demonstrated through dose-dependent differences in serum total soluble TL1A concentrations for PF-06480605 vs placebo cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

PF-06480605 was generally well tolerated, and binding of soluble TL1A was maintained throughout the dose interval, supporting further study of PF-06480605 in patients with IBD and other inflammatory conditions.

TNFSF15 promoter polymorphisms increase the susceptibility to small cell lung cancer: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 15 (TNFSF15) is closely related to tumorigenesis and development. This study aimed to investigate the correlations between TNFSF15 polymorphisms and genetic susceptibility to lung cancer.

METHODS

This case-control study included 209 small cell lung cancer patients (SCLC), 340 non- small cell lung cancer patients (NSCLC) and 460 health controls. TNFSF15-638 A > G and - 358 T > C polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restrictive fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression.

RESULTS

Our results showed that subjects carrying the TNFSF15-638GG genotype or -358CC genotype were more likely to develop SCLC (-638GG, OR = 1.84, 95%CI = 1.13-2.99; -358CC, OR = 2.44, 95%CI = 1.46-4.06), but not NSCLC (P > 0.05). In stratified analysis, -638GG genotype was related to SCLC among males (OR = 1.95, 95%CI = 1.09-3.45, P = 0.023) and older patients (OR = 2.93, 95%CI = 1.44-8.68, P = 0.006). However, -358CC genotype was associated with SCLC among females (OR = 8.42, 95%CI = 2.22-31.89, P = 0.002) and older subjects with OR (95%CI) of 11.04 (3.57-34.15) (P < 0.001). Moreover, TNFSF15 -358CC was linked with a higher risk of SCLC among non-smokers (OR = 2.54, 95%CI = 1.20-5.35, P = 0.015) but not among smokers (OR = 1.88, 95%CI = 0.92-3.84, P = 0.086).

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the importance of TNFSF15 polymorphisms in the development of SCLC.

Targeting of apoptotic pathways by SMAC or BH3 mimetics distinctly sensitizes paclitaxel-resistant triple negative breast cancer cells

Standard chemotherapy is the only systemic treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and despite the good initial response, resistance remains a major therapeutic obstacle. Here, we employed a High-Throughput Screen to identify targeted therapies that overcome chemoresistance in TNBC. We applied short-term paclitaxel treatment and screened 320 small-molecule inhibitors of known targets to identify drugs that preferentially and efficiently target paclitaxel-treated TNBC cells. Among these compounds the SMAC mimetics (BV6, Birinapant) and BH3-mimetics (ABT-737/263) were recognized as potent targeted therapy for multiple paclitaxel-residual TNBC cell lines. However, acquired paclitaxel resistance through repeated paclitaxel pulses result in desensitization to BV6, but not to ABT-263, suggesting that short- and long-term paclitaxel resistance are mediated by distinct mechanisms. Gene expression profiling of paclitaxel-residual, -resistant and naïve MDA-MB-231 cells demonstrated that paclitaxel-residual, as opposed to -resistant cells, were characterized by an apoptotic signature, with downregulation of anti-apoptotic genes (BCL2, BIRC5), induction of apoptosis inducers (IL24, PDCD4), and enrichment of TNFα/NF-κB pathway, including upregulation of TNFSF15, coupled with cell-cycle arrest. BIRC5 and FOXM1 downregulation and IL24 induction was also evident in breast cancer patient datasets following taxane treatment. Exposure of naïve or paclitaxel-resistant cells to supernatants of paclitaxel-residual cells sensitized them to BV6, and treatment with TNFα enhanced BV6 potency, suggesting that sensitization to BV6 is mediated, at least partially, by secreted factor(s). Our results suggest that administration of SMAC or BH3 mimetics following short-term paclitaxel treatment could be an effective therapeutic strategy for TNBC, while only BH3-mimetics could effectively overcome long-term paclitaxel resistance.

An anti-TL1A antibody for the treatment of asthma and inflammatory bowel disease

TL1A is an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of mucosal inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and asthma. Blockade of the TL1A pathway has been shown to reduce inflammatory responses while leaving baseline immunity intact, and to be beneficial in animal models of colitis and asthma. Given the therapeutic potential of blocking this pathway in IBD and asthma, we developed C03V, a human antibody that binds with high affinity to soluble and membrane-bound TL1A. In an assay measuring apoptosis induced by exogenous TL1A, C03V was 43-fold more potent than the next most potent anti-TL1A antibody analyzed. C03V also potently inhibited endogenous TL1A activity in a primary cell-based assay. This potency was linked to the C03V-binding epitope on TL1A, encompassing the residue R32. This residue is critical for the binding of TL1A to its signaling receptor DR3 but not to its decoy receptor DcR3, and explains why C03V inhibited TL1A-DR3 binding to a much greater extent than TL1A-DcR3 binding. This characteristic may be advantageous to preserve some of the homeostatic functions of DcR3, such as TL1A antagonism. In colitis models, C03V significantly ameliorated microscopic, macroscopic and clinical aspects of disease pathology, and in an asthma model it significantly reduced airways inflammation. Notable in both types of disease model was the reduction in fibrosis observed after C03V treatment. C03V has the potential to address unmet medical needs in asthma and IBD.

Cleavage of TL1A Differentially Regulates Its Effects on Innate and Adaptive Immune Cells

TNF superfamily cytokines play major roles in the regulation of adaptive and innate immunity. The TNF superfamily cytokine TL1A (TNFSF15), through its cognate receptor DR3 (TNFRSF25), promotes T cell immunity to pathogens and directly costimulates group 2 and 3 innate lymphoid cells. Polymorphisms in the TNFSF15 gene are associated with the risk for various human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. Like other cytokines in the TNF superfamily, TL1A is synthesized as a type II transmembrane protein and cleaved from the plasma membrane by metalloproteinases. Membrane cleavage has been shown to alter or abrogate certain activities of other TNF family cytokines; however, the functional capabilities of membrane-bound and soluble forms TL1A are not known. Constitutive expression of TL1A in transgenic mice results in expansion of activated T cells and promotes intestinal hyperplasia and inflammation through stimulation of group 2 innate lymphoid cells. Through the generation of membrane-restricted TL1A-transgenic mice, we demonstrate that membrane TL1A promotes expression of inflammatory cytokines in the lung, dependent upon DR3 expression on T cells. Soluble TL1A alone was unable to produce this phenotype but was still able to induce intestinal type 2 inflammation independently of T cells. These data suggest differential roles for membrane and soluble TL1A on adaptive and innate immune cells and have implications for the consequences of blocking these two forms of TL1A.

Hypoxia regulates TRAIL sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells through mitochondrial autophagy

The capacity of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) to selectively induce cell death in malignant cells triggered numerous attempts for therapeutic exploitation. In clinical trials, however, TRAIL did not live up to the expectations, as tumors exhibit high rates of TRAIL resistance in vivo. Response to anti-cancer therapy is determined not only by cancer cell intrinsic factors (e.g. oncogenic mutations), but also modulated by extrinsic factors such as the hypoxic tumor microenvironment.Here, we address the effect of hypoxia on pro-apoptotic TRAIL signaling in colorectal cancer cells. We show that oxygen levels modulate susceptibility to TRAIL-induced cell death, which is severely impaired under hypoxia (0.5% O2). Mechanistically, this is attributable to hypoxia-induced mitochondrial autophagy. Loss of mitochondria under hypoxia restricts the availability of mitochondria-derived pro-apoptotic molecules such as second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase (SMAC), thereby disrupting amplification of the apoptotic signal emanating from the TRAIL death receptors and efficiently blocking cell death in type-II cells. Moreover, we identify strategies to overcome TRAIL resistance in low oxygen environments. Counteracting hypoxia-induced loss of endogenous SMAC by exogenous substitution of SMAC mimetics fully restores TRAIL sensitivity in colorectal cancer cells. Alternatively, enforcing a mitochondria-independent type-I mode of cell death by targeting the type-II phenotype gatekeeper X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) is equally effective.Together, our results indicate that tumor hypoxia impairs TRAIL efficacy but this limitation can be overcome by combining TRAIL with SMAC mimetics or XIAP-targeting drugs. Our findings may help to exploit the potential of TRAIL in cancer therapy.

The FEBS Journal in 2018 - putting a bit of color in your life, and your figures

Seamus Martin holds the Smurfit Chair of Medical Genetics at the Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He works on all aspects of cell death control and is especially interested in the links between cell death, cell stress and inflammation. He received the GlaxoSmithKline Award of The Biochemical Society (2006) and The RDS-Irish Times Boyle Medal (2015) for his work on the role of caspases in apoptosis and was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 2006 and EMBO in 2009. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The FEBS Journal since 2014.

Death receptor 3 mediates necroptotic cell death

Death receptor 3 (DR3) was initially identified as a T cell co-stimulatory and pro-inflammatory molecule, but further studies revealed a more complex role of DR3 and its ligand TL1A. Although being a death receptor, DR3 gained to date predominantly attention as a contributor to inflammation-driven diseases. In our study, we investigated the cell death pathways associated with DR3. We show that in addition to apoptosis, DR3 can robustly trigger necroptotic cell death and provide evidence for TL1A-induced, DR3-mediated necrosome assembly. DR3-mediated necroptosis critically depends on receptor-interacting protein 1 (RIP1) and RIP3, the core components of the necroptotic machinery, which activate the pseudo-kinase mixed lineage kinase domain-like, the prototypic downstream effector molecule of necroptosis. Moreover, we demonstrate that DR3-mediated necroptotic cell death is accompanied by, but does not depend on generation of reactive oxygen species. In sum, we identify DR3 as a novel necroptosis-inducing death receptor and thereby lay ground for elucidating the (patho-) physiological relevance of DR3-mediated necroptotic cell death in vitro and in vivo.

Quantitative analysis of cell surface antigen-antibody interaction using Gaussia princeps luciferase antibody fusion proteins

Cell surface antigen-specific antibodies are of substantial diagnostic and therapeutic importance. The binding properties of such antibodies are usually evaluated by cell-free assays, in particular surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, or flow cytometry. SPR analyses allow the detailed quantitative and dynamic evaluation of the binding properties of antibodies, but need purified, typically recombinantly produced antigens. It can, however, be difficult to produce the required antigen. Furthermore, cellular factors influencing the antigen-antibody interaction are not considered by this method. Flow cytometry-based analyses do not have these limitations, but require elaborated calibration controls for absolute quantification of bound molecules. To overcome the limitations of SRP and flow cytometry in the characterization of cell surface antigen-specific antibodies, we developed Fn14-specific antibody 18D1 as an example of an antibody fusion protein format that includes the luciferase of Gaussia princeps (GpL), which enables very simple and highly sensitive cellular binding studies. We found that GpL-tagging of the C-terminus of the antibody light chain does not affect the interaction of 18D1-IgG1 with its antigen and Fc-gamma receptors (FcγRs). In accordance with this, the GpL_(LC-CT)-18D1-IgG1 antibody fusion protein showed basically the same FcγR-dependent agonistic properties as the parental 18D1 antibody. Similar results were obtained with isotype switch variants of 18D1 and antibodies specific for CD95, LTβR and CD40. In sum, we demonstrate that antibody GpL fusion proteins are easily manageable and versatile tools for the characterization of cell surface antigen-antibody interactions that have the potential to considerably extend the instrumentarium for the evaluation of antibodies.

Generation and Application of Bioluminescent CD95 Ligand Fusion Proteins

The quantitative evaluation of the interaction of soluble CD95L with CD95 is not only important for a detailed understanding of CD95 biology but is also of special relevance for the characterization and development of inhibitors of this interaction. The assembly of a CD95L-CD95 complex capable to recruit intracellular factors not only involves pre-assembly of CD95 molecules in the absence of CD95L but is also modulated by cellular factors such as interaction with the actin cytoskeleton and plasma membrane compartmentation of CD95. Due to these influential variables cell-free methods allow only an inadequate analysis of CD95L binding to cell expressed CD95. To enable easy, sensitive and highly reproducible cellular binding studies for the investigation of the CD95L-CD95 interaction, we generated fusion proteins of soluble CD95L with the luciferase from Gaussia princeps (GpL). The GpL domain contained in the GpL-CD95L fusion proteins does not interfere with CD95 binding and makes the GpL-CD95L fusion proteins highly suitable for cellular binding studies and tracer applications. In this chapter, we report detailed protocols for the production of GpL-CD95L fusion proteins and their use in cellular binding studies.

Binding Studies of TNF Receptor Superfamily (TNFRSF) Receptors on Intact Cells

Ligands of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (TNFSF) interact with members of the TNF receptor superfamily (TNFRSF). TNFSF ligand-TNFRSF receptor interactions have been intensively evaluated by many groups. The affinities of TNFSF ligand-TNFRSF receptor interactions are highly dependent on the oligomerization state of the receptor, and cellular factors (e.g. actin cytoskeleton and lipid rafts) influence the assembly of ligand-receptor complexes, too. Binding studies on TNFSF ligand-TNFRSF receptor interactions were typically performed using cell-free assays with recombinant fusion proteins that contain varying numbers of TNFRSF ectodomains. It is therefore not surprising that affinities determined for an individual TNFSF ligand-TNFRSF interaction differ sometimes by several orders of magnitude and often do not reflect the ligand activity observed in cellular assays. To overcome the intrinsic limitations of cell-free binding studies and usage of recombinant receptor domains, we performed comprehensive binding studies with Gaussia princeps luciferase TNFSF ligand fusion proteins for cell-bound TNFRSF members on intact cells at 37 °C. The affinities of the TNFSF ligand G. princeps luciferase-fusion proteins ranged between 0.01 and 19 nm and offer the currently most comprehensive and best suited panel of affinities for in silico studies of ligand-receptor systems of the TNF family.