Counting on Death – Quantitative aspects of Bcl‐2 family regulation

BRAF-Mutated Melanoma Cell Lines Develop Distinct Molecular Signatures After Prolonged Exposure to AZ628 or Dabrafenib: Potential Benefits of the Antiretroviral Treatments Cabotegravir or Doravirine on BRAF-Inhibitor-Resistant Cells

Melanoma is an aggressive cancer characterized by rapid growth, early metastasis, and poor prognosis, with resistance to current therapies being a significant issue. BRAF mutations drive uncontrolled cell division by activating the MAPK pathway. In this study, A375 and FO-1, BRAF-mutated melanoma cell lines, were treated for 4-5 months with RAF inhibitor dabrafenib or AZ628, leading to drug resistance over time. The resistant cells showed altered molecular signatures, with differences in cell cycle regulation and the propensity of cell death. Dabrafenib-resistant cells maintained high proliferative activity, while AZ628-resistant cells, especially A375 cells, exhibited slow-cycling, and a senescent-like phenotype with high susceptibility to ferroptosis, a form of cell death driven by iron. Antiretroviral drugs doravirine and cabotegravir, known for their effects on human endogenous retroviruses, were tested for their impact on these resistant melanoma cells. Both drugs reduced cell viability and colony formation in resistant cell lines. Doravirine was particularly effective in reactivating apoptosis and reducing cell growth in highly proliferative resistant cells by increasing tumor-suppressor proteins p16Ink4a and p27Kip1. These findings suggest that antiretroviral drugs can influence apoptosis and cell proliferation in RAF-inhibitor-resistant melanoma cells, offering potential therapeutic strategies for overcoming drug resistance.

Research progress on venous thrombosis development in patients with malignant tumors

The coexistence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) within patients with cancer, known as cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT), stands as a prominent cause of mortality in this population. Over recent years, the incidence of VTE has demonstrated a steady increase across diverse tumor types, influenced by several factors such as patient management, tumor-specific risks, and treatment-related aspects. Furthermore, mutations in specific genes have been identified as potential contributors to increased CAT occurrence in particular cancer subtypes. We conducted an extensive review encompassing pivotal historical and ongoing studies on CAT. This review elucidates the risks, mechanisms, reliable markers, and risk assessment methodologies that can significantly guide effective interventions in clinical practice.

Exercise-Intervened Endothelial Progenitor Cell Exosomes Protect N2a Cells by Improving Mitochondrial Function

We have recently demonstrated that exosomal communication between endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and brain endothelial cells is compromised in hypertensive conditions, which might contribute to the poor outcomes of stroke subjects with hypertension. The present study investigated whether exercise intervention can regulate EPC-exosome (EPC-EX) functions in hypertensive conditions. Bone marrow EPCs from sedentary and exercised hypertensive transgenic mice were used for generating EPC-EXs, denoted as R-EPC-EXs and R-EPC-EXET. The exosomal microRNA profile was analyzed, and EX functions were determined in a co-culture system with N2a cells challenged by angiotensin II (Ang II) plus hypoxia. EX-uptake efficiency, cellular survival ability, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and the expressions of cytochrome c and superoxide-generating enzyme (Nox4) were assessed. We found that (1) exercise intervention improves the uptake efficiency of EPC-EXs by N2a cells. (2) exercise intervention restores miR-27a levels in R-EPC-EXs. (3) R-EPC-EXET improved the survival ability and reduced ROS overproduction in N2a cells challenged with Ang II and hypoxia. (4) R-EPC-EXET improved the mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased cytochrome c and Nox4 levels in Ang II plus hypoxia-injured N2a cells. All these effects were significantly reduced by miR-27a inhibitor. Together, these data have demonstrated that exercise-intervened EPC-EXs improved the mitochondrial function of N2a cells in hypertensive conditions, which might be ascribed to their carried miR-27a.

Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and inner membrane permeabilization in regulating apoptosis and inflammation

Recent studies delineate an intimate crosstalk between apoptosis and inflammation. However, the dynamic mechanism linking them by mitochondrial membrane permeabilization remains elusive. Here, we construct a mathematical model consisting of four functional modules. Bifurcation analysis reveals that bistability stems from Bcl-2 family member interaction and time series shows that the time difference between Cyt c and mtDNA release is around 30 min, which are consistent with previous works. The model predicts that Bax aggregation kinetic determines cells to undergo apoptosis or inflammation, and that modulating the inhibitory effect of caspase 3 on IFN-β production allows the concurrent occurrence of apoptosis and inflammation. This work provides a theoretical framework for exploring the mechanism of mitochondrial membrane permeabilization in controlling cell fate.

A companion to the preclinical common data elements and case report forms for neuropathology studies in epilepsy research. A report of the TASK3 WG2 Neuropathology Working Group of the ILAE/AES Joint Translational Task Force

The International League Against Epilepsy/American Epilepsy Society (ILAE/AES) Joint Translational Task Force initiated the TASK3 working group to create common data elements (CDEs) for various aspects of preclinical epilepsy research studies, which could help improve the standardization of experimental designs. This article addresses neuropathological changes associated with seizures and epilepsy in rodent models of epilepsy. We discuss CDEs for histopathological parameters for neurodegeneration, changes in astrocyte morphology and function, mechanisms of inflammation, and changes in the blood-brain barrier and myelin/oligodendrocytes resulting from recurrent seizures in rats and mice. We provide detailed CDE tables and case report forms (CRFs), and with this companion manuscript, we discuss the rationale and methodological aspects of individual neuropathological examinations. The CDEs, CRFs, and companion paper are available to all researchers, and their use will benefit the harmonization and comparability of translational preclinical epilepsy research. The ultimate hope is to facilitate the development of rational therapy concepts for treating epilepsies, seizures, and comorbidities and the development of biomarkers assessing the pathological state of the disease.

Comparison of the Effects of Resveratrol and Its Derivatives on the Radiation Response of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

Radiotherapy is among the most important methods for breast cancer treatment. However, this method's effectiveness is limited by radioresistance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the stilbene derivatives piceid, resveratrol, and piceatannol have a radiosensitising effect on breast cancer cells (MCF-7). The conducted research enabled us to determine which of the tested compounds has the greatest potential in sensitising cells to ionising radiation (IR). Among the stilbene derivatives, resveratrol significantly increased the effect of IR. Resveratrol and IR used in combination had a higher cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells than using piceatannol, piceid, or radiation alone. This was due to a significant decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, which resulted in the accumulation of formed reactive oxygen species (ROS). The effect of resveratrol and IR enhanced the expression of apoptotic genes, such as Bax, p53, and caspase 8, leading to apoptosis.

Proteolysis-targeting chimera against BCL-XL destroys tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) play an important role in maintaining immune homeostasis and, within tumors, their upregulation is common and promotes an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Therapeutic strategies that can eliminate Tregs in the tumor (i.e., therapies that do not run the risk of affecting normal tissues), are urgently needed for the development of cancer immunotherapies. Here we report our discovery of B-cell lymphoma extra-large (BCL-X_L) as a potential molecular target of tumor-infiltrating (TI) Tregs. We show that pharmacological degradation of BCL-X_L using a newly developed platelet-sparing BCL-X_L Proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) induces the apoptosis of TI-Tregs and the activation of TI-CD8⁺ T cells. Moreover, these activities result in an effective suppression of syngeneic tumor growth in immunocompetent, but not in immunodeficient or CD8⁺ T cell-depleted mice. Notably, treatment with BCL-X_L PROTAC does not cause detectable damage within several normal tissues or thrombocytopenia. These findings identify BCL-X_L as a target in the elimination of TI-Tregs as a component of cancer immunotherapies, and that the BCL-X_L-specific PROTAC has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic for cancer immunotherapy.

Targeting regulatory T cells (Treg) represents a therapeutic option to abrogate tumor-associated immune suppression. Here the authors show that pharmacological degradation of BCL-X_L preferentially induces apoptosis of tumor-infiltrating Treg, promoting CD8 T cell activation and anti-tumor immune responses in preclinical cancer models.

Sodium butyrate opens mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) to induce a proton leak in induction of cell apoptosis

Induction of apoptosis is a strategy in the treatment of glioma, a malignant tumor with the highest prevalence in the brain. Sodium butyrate (NaB) induces apoptosis in glioma cells at pharmacological dosages (>2.5 mM), but the mechanism remains largely unknown beyond the mitochondrial potential drop. In this study, NaB was found to open the mitochondrial permeability transient pore (MPTP) to induce a proton leak in the mechanism of apoptosis. The MPTP opening led to collapse of mitochondrial potential and suppression of ATP production in the NaB-treated cells. Proton leak was increased in the mitochondria under the coupling and uncoupling conditions from the MPTP opening. The proton leak was associated with an elevation in the protein abundance of adenine nucleotide translocator 2 (ANT2) and was blocked by an ANT-specific inhibitor of bongkrekic acid (BA). These data suggest that the proton leak is induced by NaB for the mitochondrial potential drop in the induction of apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to activation of ANT2 in the MPTP complex.

Convergence of pathway analysis and pattern recognition predicts sensitization to latest generation TRAIL therapeutics by IAP antagonism

Second generation TRAIL-based therapeutics, combined with sensitising co-treatments, have recently entered clinical trials. However, reliable response predictors for optimal patient selection are not yet available. Here, we demonstrate that a novel and translationally relevant hexavalent TRAIL receptor agonist, IZI1551, in combination with Birinapant, a clinically tested IAP antagonist, efficiently induces cell death in various melanoma models, and that responsiveness can be predicted by combining pathway analysis, data-driven modelling and pattern recognition. Across a panel of 16 melanoma cell lines, responsiveness to IZI1551/Birinapant was heterogeneous, with complete resistance and pronounced synergies observed. Expression patterns of TRAIL pathway regulators allowed us to develop a combinatorial marker that predicts potent cell killing with high accuracy. IZI1551/Birinapant responsiveness could be predicted not only for cell lines, but also for 3D tumour cell spheroids and for cells directly isolated from patient melanoma metastases (80–100% prediction accuracies). Mathematical parameter reduction identified 11 proteins crucial to ensure prediction accuracy, with x-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) and procaspase-3 scoring highest, and Bcl-2 family members strongly represented. Applied to expression data of a cohort of n = 365 metastatic melanoma patients in a proof of concept in silico trial, the predictor suggested that IZI1551/Birinapant responsiveness could be expected for up to 30% of patient tumours. Overall, response frequencies in melanoma models were very encouraging, and the capability to predict melanoma sensitivity to combinations of latest generation TRAIL-based therapeutics and IAP antagonists can address the need for patient selection strategies in clinical trials based on these novel drugs.

Low expression of pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, Bak and Smac indicates prolonged progression-free survival in chemotherapy-treated metastatic melanoma

Despite the introduction of novel targeted therapies, chemotherapy still remains the primary treatment for metastatic melanoma in poorly funded healthcare environments or in case of disease relapse, with no reliable molecular markers for progression-free survival (PFS) available. As chemotherapy primarily eliminates cancer cells by apoptosis, we here evaluated if the expression of key apoptosis regulators (Bax, Bak, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Smac, Procaspase-9, Apaf-1, Procaspase-3 and XIAP) allows prognosticating PFS in stage III/IV melanoma patients. Following antibody validation, marker expression was determined by automated and manual scoring of immunohistochemically stained tissue microarrays (TMAs) constructed from treatment-naive metastatic melanoma biopsies. Interestingly and counter-intuitively, low expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bax, Bak and Smac indicated better prognosis (log-rank p < 0.0001, p = 0.0301 and p = 0.0227 for automated and p = 0.0422, p = 0.0410 and p = 0.0073 for manual scoring). These findings were independently validated in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) metastatic melanoma cohort (TCGA-SKCM) at transcript level (log-rank p = 0.0004, p = 0.0104 and p = 0.0377). Taking expression heterogeneity between the markers in individual tumour samples into account allowed defining combinatorial Bax, Bak, Smac signatures that were associated with significantly increased PFS (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0028 at protein and transcript level, respectively). Furthermore, combined low expression of Bax, Bak and Smac allowed predicting prolonged PFS (> 12 months) on a case-by-case basis (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC AUC) = 0.79). Taken together, our results therefore suggest that Bax, Bak and Smac jointly define a signature with potential clinical utility in chemotherapy-treated metastatic melanoma.

Astragaloside IV alleviates ischemia reperfusion-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of key factors in death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Apoptosis plays an important role in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury and triggers a series of pathological changes which may even be life-threatening. Astragaloside-IV (AS-IV), a natural compound extracted from Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge., Leguminosae, Huangqi in Chinese), showed neuroprotective effects in the study of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. In this study we investigate the effects of AS-IV on apoptosis induced by transient cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in rats, as well as the associated regulatory factors.

METHODS

AS-IV was administrated to male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats after transient cerebral ischemia and reperfusion surgery (12.5, 25, and 50 mg/kg, once per day, continued for 7 days after surgey). After seven days of continuous administration, neurological function, cerebral infarction volume, and pathological changes of brain tissue were detected. Fas, FasL, Caspase-8, Bax, and Bcl-2 mRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. Caspase-8, Bid, Cytochrome C (Cyto C), cleaved Caspase-3 proteins were determined by western blot and immunohistochemistry was used to quantify Cyto C.

RESULTS

AS-IV significantly attenuated the neurological deficit in rats with ischemica-reperfusion injury, and reduced cerebral infarction and neuronal apoptosis. AS-IV inhibited the mRNA upregulation of Fas, FasL, Caspase-8, and Bax/Bcl-2. Furthermore, the protein level of apoptosis cytokines Caspase-8, Bid, cleaved Caspase-3 and Cyto C were also inhibited after ischemia reperfusion, suggesting that AS-IV might alleviate ischemia reperfusion-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of key factors in death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway.

Allosteric Regulation of BH3 Proteins in Bcl-xL Complexes Enables Switch-like Activation of Bax

Current models of apoptosis regulation by the Bcl-2 family of proteins postulate that heterodimeric interactions between family members determine whether Bax and Bak are activated to trigger cell death. Thus, the relative abundance and binding affinities between pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins determines the outcome of these interactions. Examination of these interactions using purified mitochondria and liposomes with full-length recombinant proteins revealed that Bcl-x_L inhibits apoptosis as a higher-order complex that binds multiple BH3 proteins. Allosteric regulation of this complex by the BH3 sensitizer Bad confers switch-like activity to the indirect activation of Bax. The BH3 activator cBid sequestered by Bcl-x_L complexes changes from an inactive to an active form while bound to a Bcl-x_L complex only when Bad is also bound. Bcl-x_L complexes enable Bad to function as a non-competitive inhibitor of Bcl-x_L and allosterically activate cBid, dramatically enhancing the pro-apoptotic potency of Bad.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction Pathway Networks and Mitochondrial Dynamics in the Pathogenesis of Pituitary Adenomas

Mitochondrion is a multi-functional organelle, which is associated with various signaling pathway networks, including energy metabolism, oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, cell cycles, autophagy, and immunity process. Mitochondrial proteins have been discovered to modulate these signaling pathway networks, and multiple biological behaviors to adapt to various internal environments or signaling events of human pathogenesis. Accordingly, mitochondrial dysfunction that alters the bioenergetic and biosynthetic state might contribute to multiple diseases, including cell transformation and tumor. Multiomics studies have revealed that mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and cell cycle dysregulation signaling pathways operate in human pituitary adenomas, which suggest mitochondria play critical roles in pituitary adenomas. Some drugs targeting mitochondria are found as a therapeutic strategy for pituitary adenomas, including melatonin, melatonin inhibitors, temozolomide, pyrimethamine, 18 beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, gossypol acetate, Yougui pill, T-2 toxin, grifolic acid, cyclosporine A, dopamine agonists, and paeoniflorin. This article reviews the latest experimental evidence and potential biological roles of mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondrial dynamics in pituitary adenoma progression, potential molecular mechanisms between mitochondria and pituitary adenoma progression, and current status and perspectives of mitochondria-based biomarkers and targeted drugs for effective management of pituitary adenomas.

Nutritional preconditioning induced by astragaloside Ⅳ on isolated hearts and cardiomyocytes against myocardial ischemia injury via improving Bcl-2-mediated mitochondrial function

Ischemic preconditioning and pharmacological preconditioning are common strategies to prevent lethal myocardial injury, especially nutritional preconditioning (NPC). In this study, we investigated the effects of astragaloside IV (Ast), as an NPC agent, on myocardium suffered anoxia/reoxygenation (A/R) injury. Rats received 5 mg/kg Ast daily for 3 weeks by intragastric administration. Then, hearts were harvested and underwent A/R treatment using a Langendorff apparatus. Ast- pretreatment significantly promoted functional recovery of the myocardium, reduced infarct size, and oxidative stress, and decreased the apoptotic index. Similar findings were demonstrated in H9c2 cardiomyocytes that were pretreated with Ast for 24 h. Moreover, Ast-pretreatment significantly upregulated Bcl-2 expression, especially in mitochondria. The effects of Ast treatment against A/R injury were also reflected by increased antioxidant potential, inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) burst, increased oxygen consumption rate, maintained mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, and prevented apoptosis. Selective inhibition of Bcl-2 by ABT-737 decreased myocardial injury protection of Ast. Ast-pretreatment resulted in NPC- related effects against A/R, and mitochondria may be the target of a cascade of events elicited by upregulating Bcl-2 expression, promoting translocation of Bcl-2 into mitochondria, maintaining MMP, inhibiting ROS bursts, thereby leading to recovery of mitochondrial respiration, preventing mPTP opening, decreasing cytochrome C release, preventing apoptosis, and ultimately alleviating myocardial injury.