CXCL5/NF-κB Pathway as a Therapeutic Target in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment

Neutrophil extracellular traps induced by chemotherapy inhibit tumor growth in murine models of colorectal cancer

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), a web-like structure of cytosolic and granule proteins assembled on decondensed chromatin, kill pathogens and cause tissue damage in diseases. Whether NETs can kill cancer cells is unexplored. Here, we report that a combination of glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 and 5-FU inhibited the growth of PIK3CA-mutant colorectal cancers (CRCs) in xenograft, syngeneic, and genetically engineered mouse models in part through NETs. Disruption of NETs by either DNase I treatment or depletion of neutrophils in CRCs attenuated the efficacy of the drug combination. Moreover, NETs were present in tumor biopsies from patients treated with the drug combination in a phase II clinical trial. Increased NET levels in tumors were associated with longer progression-free survival. Mechanistically, the drug combination induced the expression of IL-8 preferentially in PIK3CA-mutant CRCs to attract neutrophils into the tumors. Further, the drug combination increased the levels of ROS in neutrophils, thereby inducing NETs. Cathepsin G (CTSG), a serine protease localized in NETs, entered CRC cells through the RAGE cell surface protein. The internalized CTSG cleaved 14-3-3 proteins, released BAX, and triggered apoptosis in CRC cells. Thus, our studies illuminate a previously unrecognized mechanism by which chemotherapy-induced NETs kill cancer cells.

Multifunctional roles of inflammation and its causative factors in primary liver cancer: A literature review

Primary liver cancer is a severe and complex disease, leading to 800000 global deaths annually. Emerging evidence suggests that inflammation is one of the critical factors in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients with viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, and steatohepatitis symptoms are at higher risk of developing HCC. However, not all inflammatory factors have a pathogenic function in HCC development. The current study describes the process and mechanism of hepatitis development and its progression to HCC, particularly focusing on viral hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, and steatohepatitis. Furthermore, the roles of some essential inflammatory cytokines in HCC progression are described in addition to a summary of future research directions.

CXCL5 promotes tumorigenesis and angiogenesis of glioblastoma via JAK-STAT/NF-κb signaling pathways

BACKGROUND

The tumor microenvironment contains chemokines that play a crucial role in various processes, such as tumorigenesis, inflammation, and therapy resistance, in different types of cancer. CXCL5 is a significant chemokine that has been shown to promote tumor proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and therapy resistance when overexpressed in various types of cancer. This research aims to investigate the impact of CXCL5 on the biological functions of glioblastoma (GBM).

METHODS

The TCGA GBM and GEO databases were utilized to perform transcriptome microarray analysis and oncogenic signaling pathway analysis of CXCL5 in GBM. Validation of CXCL5 expression was performed using RT-qPCR and Western Blot. The impact of CXCL5 on cell proliferation, tumorigenesis, and angiogenesis in GBM was assessed through various methods, including cell proliferation assay, cloning assay, intracranial xenograft tumor models, and tube formation assay. Clinical prognosis was evaluated in 59 samples of gliomas with varying degrees of malignancy (grades 2, 3, and 4) and the TCGA GBM database, based on CXCL5 expression levels. The activities of the JAK-STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways were detected using Western Blot.

RESULTS

The expression of CXCL5 was highly enriched in GBM. Moreover, the inhibition of CXCL5 showed a significant efficacy in suppressing cellular proliferation and angiogenesis, resulting in extended survival rates in xenograft mouse models in comparison to the control group. Notably, pretreatment with dapsone exhibited a reversal of the impact of CXCL5 on the formation of colonies and tubes in GBM cells. Elevated expression of CXCL5 was correlated with poor outcomes in GBM patients. Furthermore, the overexpression of CXCL5 has been associated with the activation of JAK-STAT and NF-κB signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

CXCL5 plays an important role in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis, indicating the potential for novel therapies targeting CXCL5 in GBM.

Bioinformatic Analysis of the CXCR2 Ligands in Cancer Processes

Human CXCR2 has seven ligands, i.e., CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL7, and CXCL8/IL-8-chemokines with nearly identical properties. However, no available study has compared the contribution of all CXCR2 ligands to cancer progression. That is why, in this study, we conducted a bioinformatic analysis using the GEPIA, UALCAN, and TIMER2.0 databases to investigate the role of CXCR2 ligands in 31 different types of cancer, including glioblastoma, melanoma, and colon, esophageal, gastric, kidney, liver, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. We focused on the differences in the regulation of expression (using the Tfsitescan and miRDB databases) and analyzed mutation types in CXCR2 ligand genes in cancers (using the cBioPortal). The data showed that the effect of CXCR2 ligands on prognosis depends on the type of cancer. CXCR2 ligands were associated with EMT, angiogenesis, recruiting neutrophils to the tumor microenvironment, and the count of M1 macrophages. The regulation of the expression of each CXCR2 ligand was different and, thus, each analyzed chemokine may have a different function in cancer processes. Our findings suggest that each type of cancer has a unique pattern of CXCR2 ligand involvement in cancer progression, with each ligand having a unique regulation of expression.

Role of chemokine systems in cancer and inflammatory diseases

Chemokines are a large family of small secreted proteins that have fundamental roles in organ development, normal physiology, and immune responses upon binding to their corresponding receptors. The primary functions of chemokines are to coordinate and recruit immune cells to and from tissues and to participate in regulating interactions between immune cells. In addition to the generally recognized antimicrobial immunity, the chemokine/chemokine receptor axis also exerts a tumorigenic function in many different cancer models and is involved in the formation of immunosuppressive and protective tumor microenvironment (TME), making them potential prognostic markers for various hematologic and solid tumors. In fact, apart from its vital role in tumors, almost all inflammatory diseases involve chemokines and their receptors in one way or another. Modulating the expression of chemokines and/or their corresponding receptors on tumor cells or immune cells provides the basis for the exploitation of new drugs for clinical evaluation in the treatment of related diseases. Here, we summarize recent advances of chemokine systems in protumor and antitumor immune responses and discuss the prevailing understanding of how the chemokine system operates in inflammatory diseases. In this review, we also emphatically highlight the complexity of the chemokine system and explore its potential to guide the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases.

MicroRNA-577 aggravates bone loss and bone remodeling by targeting thyroid stimulating hormone receptor in hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis

Traditionally, hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis has been considered to be the result of increased thyroid hormone levels. The pathogenesis of hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis remains unclear. Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) is closely associated with osteoporosis. Our study aimed to explore the role of TSHR and its upstream microRNA (miRNA) in hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis. Bioinformatics analysis (starBase and Targetscan) and a wide range of experiments including reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, luciferase reporter, western blot analysis of osteogenic differentiation markers including OSX, OCN, ALP, OPN, and COL1, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Alizarin Red staining assays were used to explore the function and mechanism of TSHR in hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis. First, we observed that TSHR was downregulated in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) isolated from rats after culture in osteogenic medium for 7 days. Functionally, overexpression of TSHR accelerates BMSC osteogenic differentiation. Mechanistically, we predicted four potential miRNAs for TSHR. MiR-577 was validated to bind with TSHR. Rescue assays showed that miR-577 overexpression inhibited BMSC osteogenic differentiation via targeting TSHR. In vivo experiments showed that miR-577 aggravated bone loss and bone remodeling and our data showed that it is achieved by targeting TSHR in hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis. This finding may deep our understanding of the pathogenesis of hyperthyroid-associated osteoporosis.