Immunity, inflammation, and cancer: an eternal fight between good and evil

Rice bran arabinoxylan compound as a natural product for cancer treatment - an evidence-based assessment of the effects and mechanisms

CONTEXT

Rice bran arabinoxylan compound (RBAC) is a natural immunomodulator with anticancer properties.

OBJECTIVE

This study critically evaluates the available evidence on the biological pathways of RBAC and its effects on cancer treatment.

METHODS

This secondary analysis of a scoping review includes studies evaluating the mechanisms of RBAC on healthy or malignant cells, animal models, or humans for cancer prevention or treatment. Data from randomized controlled trials on survival and quality of life outcomes were subjectd to meta analysis.

RESULTS

The evidence synthesis was based on 38 articles. RBAC exhibited antitumor properties by promoting apoptosis and restoring immune function in cancer patients to enhance inflammatory and cytotoxic responses to block tumorigenesis. RBAC works synergistically with chemotherapeutic agents by upregulating drug transport. In a clinical trial, combining RBAC with chemoembolization in treating liver cancer showed improved response, reduced recurrence rates, and prolonged survival. RBAC also augments the endogenous antioxidant system to prevent oxidative stress and protect against radiation side effects. In addition, RBAC has chemoprotective effects. Animals and humans have exhibited reduced toxicity and side effects from chemotherapy. Meta analysis indicates that RBAC treatment increases the survival odds by 4.02-times (95% CI: 1.67, 9.69) in the first year and 2.89-times (95% CI: 1.56, 5.35) in the second year.

CONCLUSION

RBAC is a natural product with immense potential in cancer treatment. Additional research is needed to characterize, quantify, and standardize the active ingredients in RBAC responsible for the anticancer effects. More well-designed, large-scale clinical trials are required to substantiate the treatment efficacies further.

Circadian rhythm disruption and endocrine-related tumors

This review delved into the intricate relationship between circadian clocks and physiological processes, emphasizing their critical role in maintaining homeostasis. Orchestrated by interlocked clock genes, the circadian timekeeping system regulates fundamental processes like the sleep-wake cycle, energy metabolism, immune function, and cell proliferation. The central oscillator in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus synchronizes with light-dark cycles, while peripheral tissue clocks are influenced by cues such as feeding times. Circadian disruption, linked to modern lifestyle factors like night shift work, correlates with adverse health outcomes, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, infections, and cancer. We explored the molecular mechanisms of circadian clock genes and their impact on metabolic disorders and cancer pathogenesis. Specific associations between circadian disruption and endocrine tumors, spanning breast, ovarian, testicular, prostate, thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal gland cancers, are highlighted. Shift work is associated with increased breast cancer risk, with PER genes influencing tumor progression and drug resistance. CLOCK gene expression correlates with cisplatin resistance in ovarian cancer, while factors like aging and intermittent fasting affect prostate cancer. Our review underscored the intricate interplay between circadian rhythms and cancer, involving the regulation of the cell cycle, DNA repair, metabolism, immune function, and the tumor microenvironment. We advocated for integrating biological timing into clinical considerations for personalized healthcare, proposing that understanding these connections could lead to novel therapeutic approaches. Evidence supports circadian rhythm-focused therapies, particularly chronotherapy, for treating endocrine tumors. Our review called for further research to uncover detailed connections between circadian clocks and cancer, providing essential insights for targeted treatments. We emphasized the importance of public health interventions to mitigate lifestyle-related circadian disruptions and underscored the critical role of circadian rhythms in disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions.

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia progression is supported by inflammatory molecules including hepatocyte growth factor

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a malignant hematological disorder characterized by an increased proliferation of immature T lymphocytes precursors. T-ALL treatment includes chemotherapy with strong side effects, and patients that undergo relapse display poor prognosis. Although cell-intrinsic oncogenic pathways are well-studied, the tumor microenvironment, like inflammatory cellular and molecular components is less explored in T-ALL. We sought to determine the composition of the inflammatory microenvironment induced by T-ALL, and its role in T-ALL progression. We show in two mouse T-ALL cell models that T-ALLs enhance blood neutrophils and resident monocytes, accompanied with a plasmatic acute secretion of inflammatory molecules. Depleting neutrophils using anti-Ly6G treatment or resident monocytes by clodronate liposomes treatment does not modulate plasmatic inflammatory molecule secretion and mice survival. However, inhibiting the secretion of inflammatory molecules by microenvironment with NECA, an agonist of adenosine receptors, diminishes T-ALL progression enhancing mouse survival. We uncovered Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF), T-ALL-driven and the most decreased molecule with NECA, as a potential therapeutic target in T-ALL. Altogether, we identified a signature of inflammatory molecules that can potentially be involved in T-ALL evolution and uncovered HGF/cMET pathway as important to target for limiting T-ALL progression.

Association between Bacteroides fragilis and Fusobacterium nucleatum infection and colorectal cancer in Vietnamese patients

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health concern, and understanding the role of specific bacterial infections in its development and progression is of increasing interest. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations between Bacteroides fragilis (B. fragilis) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) infections and Vietnamese CRC patients.

METHODS

192 patients with either polyps or CRC at varying stages were recruited from May 2017 to December 2020. Real-time PCR assessed infection rates and bacterial loads in CRC tissues.

RESULTS

B. fragilis infection was notably higher in CRC tissues (51.6 %) than polyps (9.4 %), with a fivefold higher relative load. Positive associations were found in stages II and III, indicating a fivefold increase in CRC progression risk. F. nucleatum infection rates were significantly higher in CRC tissues (55.2 %) than in polyps (10.5 %). In stage II, the infection rate exceeded that in adjacent tissues. The relative load of F. nucleatum was higher in stage III than in stages I and II. Positive F. nucleatum patients had a 3.2 times higher risk of CRC progression.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest associations between loading of F. nucleatum or/and B. fragilis with the advanced stages of CRC.

MDSC-targeting gold nanoparticles enhance PD-1 tumor immunotherapy by inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasomes

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) play a crucial role in the immune escape mechanisms that limit the efficacy of immunotherapeutic strategies. In the tumor microenvironment, NLRP3 inflammasome-driven Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production serves to dampen antitumor immune responses, promoting tumor growth, progression, and immunosuppression. In this study, we revealed that gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) with a size of 30 nm disrupted NLRP3 inflammasome, but not other inflammasomes, in bone marrow-derived macrophages through abrogating NLRP3-NEK7 interactions mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided insights into the mechanism underlying the exceptional ROS scavenging capabilities of Au NPs. Additionally, when coupled with H6, a small peptide targeting MDSCs, Au NPs demonstrated the capacity to effectively reduce IL-1β levels and diminish the MDSCs population in tumor microenvironment, leading to enhanced T cell activation and increased immunotherapeutic efficacy in mouse tumor models that are sensitive and resistant to PD-1 inhibition. Our findings unraveled a novel approach wherein peptide-modified Au NPs relieved the suppressive impact of the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting MDSCs-mediated IL-1β release, which is the first time reported the employing a nanostrategy at modulating MDSCs to reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment and may hold promise as a potential therapeutic agent for cancer immunotherapy.

Genetic correlation and causal associations between circulating C-reactive protein levels and lung cancer risk

PURPOSE

We aimed to characterize genetic correlations and causal associations between circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the risk of lung cancer (LC).

METHODS

Leveraging summary statistics from genome-wide association studies of circulating CRP levels among 575,531 individuals of European ancestry, and LC risk among 29,266 cases and 56,450 controls, we investigated genetic associations of circulating CRP levels with the risk of overall lung cancer and its histological subtypes, by using linkage disequilibrium score (LDSC) regression and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.

RESULTS

Significant positive genetic correlations between circulating CRP levels and the risk of LC and its histological subtypes were identified from LDSC regression, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.12 to 0.26, and all false discovery adjusted p < 0.05. Univariable MR demonstrated a nominal association between CRP levels and an increased risk of lung squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (inverse variance-weighted OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.01-1.30). However, this association disappeared when multivariable MR included cigarettes per day and/or body mass index. By using our recently developed constrained maximum likelihood-based MR method, we identified significant associations of CRP levels with the risk of overall LC (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03-1.09), SCC (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.09), and small cell lung cancer (SCLC, OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.15). Moreover, most univariable and multivariable MR analyses also revealed consistent CRP-SCLC associations.

CONCLUSION

There may be a genetic and causal association between circulating CRP levels and the risk of SCLC, which is in line with previous population-based observational studies.

Targeting cyclooxygenase-2 for chemoprevention of inflammation-associated intestinal carcinogenesis: An update

Mounting evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggests that persistent inflammation functions as a driving force in the journey to cancer. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a key enzyme involved in inflammatory signaling. While being transiently upregulated upon inflammatory stimuli, COX-2 has been found to be consistently overexpressed in human colorectal cancer and several other malignancies. The association between chronic inflammation and cancer has been revisited: cancer can arise when inflammation fails to resolve. Besides its proinflammatory functions, COX-2 also catalyzes the production of pro-resolving as well as anti-inflammatory metabolites from polyunsaturated fatty acids. This may account for the side effects caused by long term use of some COX-2 inhibitory drugs during the cancer chemopreventive trials. This review summarizes the latest findings highlighting the dual functions of COX-2 in the context of its implications in the development, maintenance, and progression of cancer.

Prostate and gut: Any relationship? A narrative review on the available evidence and putative mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Gut microbiome is a community of microorganisms that lives in the human intestine and exerts various functions on the host, including metabolic, immunoregulatory, and control over cell proliferation. Gut microbiome alterations have been associated with various pathological conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases. Gut-prostate axis is explained by the association between gut microbiome quantitative and functional alterations along with increased intestinal epithelial permeability with prostatediseases. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical importance of this association are not completely clarified yet.

METHODS

We conducted a narrative review of the most relevant articles in the Medline (US National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA), Scopus (Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands) and Web of Science Core Collection (Thomson Reuters, Toronto, ON, Canada) databases. No chronological restrictions were applied, and the most related papers published until December 2023 were included.

RESULTS

Gut microbiota (GM) and its metabolites are capable of modifying host androgen level, as well as prostate cancer (PCa) therapy response. Moreover, patients with inflammatory bowel disease have higher rates of prostatitis-like symptoms and a potential risk of developing PCa.

CONCLUSIONS

There is evidence that interventions on the GM and its metabolites have a high potential to serve as diagnostic and therapeutic tools for prostate diseases, including PCa.

Effects of Chemotherapy on the Immune System: Implications for Cancer Treatment and Patient Outcomes

Chemotherapy is a cornerstone of cancer treatment, but it can also induce immune suppression, which can have significant implications for patient outcomes. This review paper aims to give a general overview of how chemotherapy affects the immune system and how it affects cancer treatment. Chemotherapy can directly affect immune cells, leading to cytotoxic effects, cell differentiation and function alterations, and cell communication and signaling pathways disruptions. Such immune suppression can weaken the anti-tumor immune response and increase the risk of immune-related toxicities. Understanding the mechanisms of chemotherapy-induced immune suppression is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies. Strategies to mitigate immune suppression include immunomodulatory agents as adjuvants to chemotherapy, combination therapies to enhance immune function, and supportive care measures of the immune system. Additionally, identifying potential biomarkers to predict immune suppression and guide treatment decisions holds promise for personalized cancer medicine. Future directions in this field involve further elucidating underlying mechanisms, exploring novel combination therapies, and developing targeted interventions to minimize immune suppression. By understanding and addressing chemotherapy-induced immune suppression, we can optimize cancer treatment strategies, enhance the anti-tumor immune response, and improve patient outcomes.

CRP and soluble CTLA4 are determinants of anti-PD1 resistance in gastrointestinal cancer

Targeting immune inhibitory checkpoint (IC) pathways have attracted great attention as a promising strategy for treating gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. However, the therapeutic efficacy is low in most cases, and little progress has been made in establishing biomarkers that predict the possible responses, and combination regimens that enhance the therapeutic efficacy. As a predictive biomarker, soluble forms of IC molecules have been recently highlighted. However, little is known about which IC molecules is most critically associated with the treatment resistance, and also about the biological and immunological roles of the IC molecules in GI cancer. In this study, we analyzed sera obtained from advanced gastric cancer patients before and one month after treatment with anti-PD1 nivolumab for soluble IC molecules by ELISA. We found that decrease of soluble CTLA4 (sCTLA4) at posttreatment were significantly associated with a better prognosis, and combination with low level of CRP at posttreatment more clearly defined anti-PD1 responders with long-term survival. Indeed, in the in vitro setting, CRP stimulation upregulated CTLA4 expression in tumor cells followed by generation of sCTLA4 that suppressed CTL induction, and simultaneously conferred high self-renewal and invasive abilities on the tumor cells accompanied by increase of EMT-related gene expressions. In the in vivo setting, CRP injection elevated sCTLA4 level in sera of mouse tumor metastasis models, leading to failure of anti-PD1 therapy. However, treatment with anti-CTLA4 mAb or a PPARγ agonist that can reduce in vivo CRP successfully elicited anti-tumor efficacy in the anti-PD1 resistant models. These suggest that targeting CRP and sCTLA4 may be a promising strategy for improving clinical outcomes in the treatments, including anti-PD1 therapy, of GI cancer.

Overall review of curative impact and barriers of CAR-T cells in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a rare form of cancer and primary bone malignancy in children and adolescents. Current therapies include surgery, chemotherapy, and amputation. Therefore, a new therapeutic strategy is needed to dramatically change cancer treatment. Recently, chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR-T cells) have been of considerable interest as it has provided auspicious results and patients suffering from low side effects after injection that resolve with current therapy. However, there are reports that cytokine release storm (CRS) can be observed in some patients. In addition, as researchers have faced problems that limit and suppress T cells, further studies are required to resolve these problems. In addition, to maximize the therapeutic benefit of CAR-T cell therapy, researchers have suggested that combination therapy could be better used to treat cancer by overcoming any problems and reducing side effects as much as possible. This review summarizes these problems, barriers, and the results of some studies on the evaluation of CAR-T cells in patients with osteosarcoma.

Seasonal influenza vaccines differentially activate and modulate toll-like receptor expression within the tumor microenvironment

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are well-known for their role in cancer development as well as in directing anti-tumor immunity. Because TLRs have also been implicated in the innate recognition of the influenza virus, it was of great interest to investigate the potential TLRs' contribution to the reduction in tumor growth following intratumoral injection of an unadjuvanted influenza vaccine and the lack of antitumor response from an adjuvanted vaccine. In our previous publication, we showed that the unadjuvanted flu vaccine modulates TLR7 expression leading to anti-tumor response in a murine model of melanoma. Here, we show that the unadjuvanted and adjuvanted flu vaccines robustly stimulate different sets of TLRs, TLR3 and TLR7, and TLR4 and TLR9, respectively. In addition, the reduction in tumor growth and improved survival from intratumoral administration of the unadjuvanted vaccine was found to be diminished in TLR7-deficient mice. Finally, we observed that both vaccines have the capacity to modulate TLR expression on both innate and adaptive immune cells. Our findings add to the mechanistic understanding of the parameters that influence tumor outcomes in unadjuvanted and adjuvanted influenza vaccines.

Targeting ALK averts ribonuclease 1-induced immunosuppression and enhances antitumor immunity in hepatocellular carcinoma

Tumor-secreted factors contribute to the development of a microenvironment that facilitates the escape of cancer cells from immunotherapy. In this study, we conduct a retrospective comparison of the proteins secreted by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells in responders and non-responders among a cohort of ten patients who received Nivolumab (anti-PD-1 antibody). Our findings indicate that non-responders have a high abundance of secreted RNase1, which is associated with a poor prognosis in various cancer types. Furthermore, mice implanted with HCC cells that overexpress RNase1 exhibit immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments and diminished response to anti-PD-1 therapy. RNase1 induces the polarization of macrophages towards a tumor growth-promoting phenotype through activation of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) signaling pathway. Targeting the RNase1/ALK axis reprograms the macrophage polarization, with increased CD8+ T- and Th1- cell recruitment. Moreover, simultaneous targeting of the checkpoint protein PD-1 unleashes cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell responses. Treatment utilizing both an ALK inhibitor and an anti-PD-1 antibody exhibits enhanced tumor regression and facilitates long-term immunity. Our study elucidates the role of RNase1 in mediating tumor resistance to immunotherapy and reveals an RNase1-mediated immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, highlighting the potential of targeting RNase1 as a promising strategy for cancer immunotherapy in HCC.

Prognostic value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing transarterial chemoembolization and tyrosine kinase inhibitors plus immune checkpoints inhibitors

Purpose

To investigate the prognostic value of platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and tailored tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) plus immune checkpoints inhibitors (ICIs).

Materials and methods

Ninety-eight patients from May 2018 to January 2022 in our hospital were enrolled in this study. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed and the corresponding Youden index was used to determine the optimal PLR cut-off. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) of patients were evaluated based on the PLR cut-off. The factors affecting survival were assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.

Results

The PLR cut-off was 98.89. There were 49 patients in the low pretreatment PLR group (PLR ≤ 98.89) and 49 patients in the high PLR group (PLR > 98.89). Patients with low pretreatment PLR had significantly longer median OS (25.7 months vs 16.1 months; P < 0.001) and PFS (14.9 months vs 10.2 months; P < 0.001) than those with high pretreatment PLR. The multivariate analysis revealed that ALT, tumor size, and PLR are risk factors affecting OS. The three independent factors affecting PFS are tumor size, AFP, and PLR. The AEs were tolerable and manageable.

Conclusion

The low pretreatment PLR (PLR ≤ 98.89) was an independent protective factor for the survival outcomes of patients in this study. PLR was helpful for clinicians to predict the prognosis and identify the patients with uHCC who were most likely to benefit from TACE + TKIs + ICIs.

Rapamycin as a Potential Alternative Drug for Squamous Cell Gingiva Carcinoma (Ca9-22): A Focus on Cell Cycle, Apoptosis and Autophagy Genetic Profile

Oral cancer is considered as one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Its conventional treatment primarily involves surgery with or without postoperative adjuvant therapy. The targeting of signaling pathways implicated in tumorigenesis is becoming increasingly prevalent in the development of new anticancer drug candidates. Based on our recently published data, Rapamycin, an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway, exhibits selective antitumor activity in oral cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cancer cell apoptosis, autophagy, and cellular stress. In the present study, our focus is on elucidating the genetic determinants of Rapamycin's action and the interaction networks accountable for tumorigenesis suppression. To achieve this, gingival carcinoma cell lines (Ca9-22) were exposed to Rapamycin at IC50 (10 µM) for 24 h. Subsequently, we investigated the genetic profiles related to the cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy, as well as gene-gene interactions, using QPCR arrays and the Gene MANIA website. Overall, our results showed that Rapamycin at 10 µM significantly inhibits the growth of Ca9-22 cells after 24 h of treatment by around 50% by suppression of key modulators in the G2/M transition, namely, Survivin and CDK5RAP1. The combination of Rapamycin with Cisplatin potentializes the inhibition of Ca9-22 cell proliferation. A P1/Annexin-V assay was performed to evaluate the effect of Rapamycin on cell apoptosis. The results obtained confirm our previous findings in which Rapamycin at 10 μM induces a strong apoptosis of Ca9-22 cells. The live cells decreased, and the late apoptotic cells increased when the cells were treated by Rapamycin. To identify the genes responsible for cell apoptosis induced by Rapamycin, we performed the RT2 Profiler PCR Arrays for 84 apoptotic genes. The blocked cells were believed to be directed towards cell death, confirmed by the downregulation of apoptosis inhibitors involved in both the extrinsic and intrinsic pathways, including BIRC5, BNIP3, CD40LG, DAPK1, LTA, TNFRSF21 and TP73. The observed effects of Rapamycin on tumor suppression are likely to involve the autophagy process, evidenced by the inhibition of autophagy modulators (TGFβ1, RGS19 and AKT1), autophagosome biogenesis components (AMBRA1, ATG9B and TMEM74) and autophagy byproducts (APP). Identifying gene-gene interaction (GGI) networks provided a comprehensive view of the drug's mechanism and connected the studied tumorigenesis processes to potential functional interactions of various kinds (physical interaction, co-expression, genetic interactions etc.). In conclusion, Rapamycin shows promise as a clinical agent for managing Ca9-22 gingiva carcinoma cells.

The Association of Inflammatory Related Markers with the Prognosis in Elderly Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy, especially among older adults. Inflammation has been implicated in cancer progression, making inflammatory indices potential prognostic markers. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/C-reactive protein ratio (LCR), and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio (CAR) in older adults with CRC.

Methods

This population-based, retrospective observational study included patients aged ≥ 65 years with colorectal adenocarcinoma who were admitted to Taichung Veterans General Hospital (Chiayi branch) between 2017 and 2022. Demographic and clinicopathological characteristics, and results of inflammatory indices were collected from medical records for all patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine the optimal cutoffs of the inflammatory indices in predicting overall mortality. Associations between the inflammatory indices, overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were determined using univariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses, with model performance evaluated using the C-index.

Results

Data of 106 patients were analyzed. After adjusting for confounders, GPS ≥1 (vs 0) significantly predicted poor OS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 3.80, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30-11.10, p= 0.015, C-index= 0.825) and PFS (aHR: 3.19, 95% CI: 1.34-7.57, p= 0.008, C-index= 0.785). CAR ≥1.0 (vs <1) significantly predicted poor OS (aHR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.01-5.48), p=0.046, C-index= 0.825) and PFS (aHR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.14-4.76, p= 0.020, C-index= 0.786).

Conclusion

Among hospitalized older adults with CRC in Taiwan, high GPS and CAR, but not NLR, PLR or LCR, are potentially useful prognostic indicators for poor OS and PFS.

ER-α36 is involved in calycosin inhibition of IL-6 production in macrophages

The tumour microenvironment (TME) is crucial for tumour development and progression. Tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the TME can promote tumour progression and metastasis by releasing cytokines, such as IL-6. Calycosin, a phytoestrogen that is one of the active compounds in Radix Astragali, has been shown to inhibit tumour growth and metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism by which calycosin inhibits tumour growth remains unclear. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of calycosin on IL-6 production in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)- and THP-1-derived macrophages and explore its potential mechanisms using co-immunoprecipitation, western blotting, immunofluorescence, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase assays. We found that calycosin treatment substantially upregulated the expression of ER-α36, a variant of the ER, and reduced IL-6 production in macrophages. Mechanistically, ER-α36 physically interacted with NF-κBp65 and retained p65 in the cytoplasm to attenuate NF-κB function as an IL-6 transcriptional inducer. In conclusion, our result indicated that calycosin inhibited IL-6 production by enhancing ER-α36 expression and its interaction with p65, which attenuated NF-κB function as an IL-6 inducer. Therefore, calycosin can be developed as an effective agent for cancer therapy by targeting TAMs.

Macrophage memory: Types, mechanisms, and its role in health and disease

On the basis of the mechanisms of action and characteristics of immune effects, immunity is commonly categorized into innate and adaptive immunity. Adaptive immunity is associated with the response to non-self-entities and is characterized by high specificity and memory properties. In contrast, innate immunity has traditionally been considered devoid of memory characteristics. However, an increasing number of studies have sought to challenge this conventional immunological dogma and shown that innate immune cells exhibit a more robust and rapid response to secondary stimulation, thus providing evidence of the immunological memory in innate immunity. Macrophages, which are among the most important innate immune cells, can also acquire memory phenotype that facilitates the mediation of recall responses. Macrophage memory is a relatively new concept that is revolutionizing our understanding of macrophage biology and immunological memory and could lead to a new class of vaccines and immunotherapies. In this review, we describe the characteristics and mechanisms of macrophage memory, as well as its essential roles in various diseases.

Involvement of CXC chemokines (CXCL1-CXCL17) in gastric cancer: Prognosis and therapeutic molecules

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth-most prevalent and second-most deadly cancer worldwide. Due to the late onset of symptoms, GC is frequently treated at a mature stage. In order to improve the diagnostic and clinical decision-making processes, it is necessary to establish more specific and sensitive indicators valuable in the early detection of the disease whenever a cancer is asymptomatic. In this work, we gathered information about CXC chemokines and GC by using scientific search engines including Google Scholar, PubMed, SciFinder, and Web of Science. Researchers believe that GC chemokines, small proteins, class CXC chemokines, and chemokine receptors promote GC inflammation, initiation, and progression by facilitating angiogenesis, tumor transformation, invasion, survival, metastatic spread, host response safeguards, and inter-cell interaction. With our absolute best professionalism, the role of CXC chemokines and their respective receptors in GC diagnosis and prognosis has not been fully explained. This review article updates the general characteristics of CXC chemokines, their unique receptors, their function in the pathological process of GC, and their potential application as possible indicators for GC. Although there have only recently been a few studies focusing on the therapeutic efficacy of CXC chemokine inhibitors in GC, growing experimental evidence points to the inhibition of CXC chemokines as a promising targeted therapy. Therefore, further translational studies are warranted to determine whether specific antagonists or antibodies designed to target CXC chemokines alone or in combination with chemotherapy are useful for diagnosing advanced GC.

Cancer incidence in Familial Mediterranean Fever: A retrospective analysis

OBJECTIVES

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is the most common hereditary monogenic fever syndrome that is characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and polyserositis. Anti-inflammatory drugs, with colchicine being the first-line therapy, have been used in the management of FMF. This study aims to evaluate the risk of cancer in Turkish FMF patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively screened the cancer-related outcomes of our study group which consisted of Turkish FMF patients registered at our division. Cancer estimates of the Turkish population were published by the Turkish Ministry of Health in the Turkey Cancer Statistics Report 2018. Standardized incidence rates (SIR) were calculated to compare the cancer incidence observed in our study group with the expected cancer incidence of the Turkish population. Subgroup analyses were conducted on the subgroups, based on gender and usage of biological agents.

RESULTS

Our study included 1734 FMF patients, 1054 (60.8 %) of whom were females. The total follow-up was 68,784 person-years. Cancer was observed in 35 (2 %) of these patients. Turkish FMF patients had a significantly lower incidence of cancer, compared with the overall Turkish population [SIR 0.64 (95 % CI 0.46-0.89), p < 0.01]. No significant association was found between cancer and biological agent therapies in FMF patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from our study indicate that the risk of cancer was decreased by 36 % in Turkish patients with FMF, compared with the outcomes of the overall Turkish population. Life-long exposure to anti-inflammatory drugs, primarily colchicine, may be the underlying reason for this outcome. Further studies are needed for the confirmation and explanation of this association.

Exercise training induces alteration of clock genes and myokines expression in tumor-bearing mice

To investigate the impact of different exercise training schedules (following a fixed schedule or at random times of the day) on clock genes and myokine expression patterns in the skeletal muscle of tumor-bearing mice. Mice were divided into three groups: tumor (LLC), tumor + exercise training (LLC + T) always performed at the same time of the day (ZT2) and exercise training at random times of the day (ZTAlt). Mice were inoculated subcutaneously with Lewis lung carcinoma cells. The gastrocnemius muscle was dissected and the clock gene expression (Clock/Per1/Per2/Per3/Rev-Erbα/GAPDH) was investigated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with SYBR® Green. Myokine content in muscle (tumour necrosis factor alpha/IL-10/IL-4) was assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. At the end of the protocol, the trained groups showed a reduction in total weight, when compared to Lewis lung carcinoma. Tumor weight was lower in the LLC + T (ZTAlt), when compared to LLC. Clock gene mRNA expression showed a significant increase for ZT20 in the groups that performed physical exercise at LLC + T (ZTAlt), when compared with LLC. The Per family showed increased mRNA expression in ZT4 in both trained mice groups, when compared with LLC. LLC + T (ZTAlt) presented reduction of the expression of anti-inflammatory myokines (Il-10/IL-4) during the night, compared with LLC + T(ZT2). Exercise training is able to induce marked modification of clock gene expression and of the production of myokines, in a way that is dependent on schedule exercise training strategy. Taken together, the results show that exercise is a potent Zeitgeber and may thus contribute to change clock genes expression and myokines that are able to reduce the tumor weight.

Prognostic role of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, systemic immune-inflammation index, and pan-immune-inflammation value in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer patients who underwent 177Lu-PSMA-617

This study is aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of inflammation indices, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients who had received lutetium labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (177Lu-PSMA-617) therapy. Sixty-one mCRPC patients who received 177Lu-PSMA-617 treatment and followed up in Kocaeli University were included. The relationship between overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) and clinical and laboratory parameters was analyzed by multivariate analyses. The mean age was 69.8 ± 6.9 years. The mean follow-up time was 53.2 ± 24 months. The median OS was 14 (95% CI: 8.8-18.1) and the median PFS was 10.4 (95% CI: 4.7-17.2) months. NLR ≥ 2.7, PLR ≥ 134.27, SII ≥ 570.39, PIV ≥ 408.59 were considered as elevated levels. In the multivariate analysis for OS, baseline ECOG performance score (HR: 1.92, 95% CI: 1.01-3.65, P = .046), high albümin (HR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.16-0.82, P = .015), primary resistant total prostate-specific-antigen (PSA) (HR: 4.37, 95% CI: 1.84-10.35, P = .001), high NLR (HR: 3.32, 95% CI: 1.66-6.65, P = .001), high MLR (HR: 2.53, 95% CI: 1.35-4.76, P = .004), high PLR (HR: 2.47, 95% CI: 1.23-4.96, P = .01), and high SII (HR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.09-4.32, P = .027) were associated with shorter OS. However, PIV was not associated with survival (P = .69). No factor other than the primer-resistant PSA could be identified as having an impact on PFS (for the PSA, HR: 4.52, 95% CI: 1.89-10.76, P = .001). In this study, pretreatment NLR, MLR, PLR, and SII demonstrate as powerful independent prognostic indices predicting survival in patients with mCRPC receiving 177Lu-PSMA-617 therapy.

Elevated profiles of peripheral Th22, Th17, Th2 cells, and decreased percentage of Th1 cells in breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Th22 subset is a particular type of CD4+ T helper cells subset. Our study aimed to explore the expression level of circulating Th22, Th17, Th1, and Th2 cells and the possible mechanism of these cells in breast cancer (BC) with different pathological features.

METHODS

Our study enrolled 43 newly diagnosed BC patients and 30 healthy controls. Frequencies of peripheral Th22, Th17, Th1, and Th2 cells were tested by flow cytometry. Concentrations of IL-22 cytokine in plasma were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Real-time PCR was done to test aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and RAR-associated orphan receptor C (RORC) gene expression.

RESULTS

Frequencies of Th22, Th17, Th2 subsets, and the plasma IL-22 level was obviously higher in the BC patients. A positive correlation between Th22 frequency and IL-22 concentration in plasma was detected in BC patients. Furthermore, the percentage of Th22, Th2 subsets in peripheral blood of HER2 positive BC was higher than that in HER2 negative BC patients. A negative correlation between Th1 subset and Ki-67% as well as a positive correlation between Th2 subset and Ki-67% was found in BC patients. The proportion of Th1 cells in BC patients was significantly lower than that of the control group. Expression of AHR and RORC transcription factors were also observed to be upregulated in the BC patients. Furthermore, Th22 cells were positively correlated with BC tumor stage and clinical outcomes. The BC patients with a higher percentage of Th22, Th17, Th1 cells or a lower percentage of Th1 cells showed a decreased trend of survival rate.

CONCLUSION

Th22, Th17, Th1, and Th2 subsets may play an essential role in BC patients. Th22, Th17, Th1, and Th2 cells may have potential significance to be used as clinical markers in BC patients with different molecular classification. Th22 cells may have potential value in BC patients' outcomes prediction, providing clinical value.

Impact of NLRP3 gene polymorphisms (rs10754558 and rs10733113) on HPV infection and cervical cancer in southern Chinese population

OBJECTIVE

Mutations in the NLRP3gene have previously been linked to certain forms of cancer, but there have not been any specific studies examining the association between NLRP3 polymorphisms and cervical cancer (CC). This study was therefore designed to investigate the effect of NLRP3 gene polymorphisms on HPV infection and cervical cancer in southern Chinese population.

METHODS

Multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing approaches were used to assess the NLRP3 rs10754558 and rs10733113 polymorphisms in 404 cervical lesion patients, including 227 diagnosed with CC and 177 diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia(CIN), with 419 healthy female controls being included for comparison. Correlations between the rs10754558 and rs10733113 genotypes and alleles in these patients and CC and CIN were then analyzed.

RESULTS

No correlations were found between NLRP3 rs10754558 and rs10733113 and human papillomavirus(HPV) infection status. Relative to the healthy control group, the NLRP3 rs10754558 GG genotype, CG + GG genotype, and G allele frequencies were significantly increased among patients with cervical lesions (CC and CIN) (OR = 1.815,P = 0.013;OR = 1.383, P = 0.026; OR = 1.284, P = 0.014,respectively), whereas no such differences were observed for rs10733113. A higher cervical lesion risk was detected for patients over the age of 45 exhibiting the rs10754558 GG genotype (OR = 1.848, P = 0.040). Additionally, the risk of CC was elevated in patients with the rs10754558 GG genotype or the G allele relative to patients with the CC genotype or the C allele(OR = 1.830, P = 0.029; OR = 1.281, P = 0.039). The rs10733113 genotypes or alleles were not significantly associated with CC risk (P > 0.05). No association between rs10754558 and rs10733113 genotypes and CC patient clinicopathological features were observed (P > 0.05). Serum NLRP3, IL-1β, and IL-18 levels were significantly elevated in CC patients relative to healthy controls(P < 0.05). Relative to the CC genotype, CC patients harboring the rs10754558 GG genotype exhibited significantly elevated IL-1β and IL-18 levels(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The rs10754558 polymorphism in the NLRP3 gene may contribute to an elevated risk of CC, although it is not significantly correlated with HPV infection and CC progression.

Natural Bio-Compounds from Ganoderma lucidum and Their Beneficial Biological Actions for Anticancer Application: A Review

Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) has been known for many centuries in Asian countries under different names, varying depending on the country. The objective of this review is to investigate the scientific research on the natural active bio-compounds in extracts obtained from G. lucidum with significant biological actions in the treatment of cancer. This review presents the classes of bio-compounds existing in G. lucidum that have been reported over time in the main databases and have shown important biological actions in the treatment of cancer. The results highlight the fact that G. lucidum possesses important bioactive compounds such as polysaccharides, triterpenoids, sterols, proteins, nucleotides, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, which have been demonstrated to exhibit multiple anticancer effects, namely immunomodulatory, anti-proliferative, cytotoxic, and antioxidant action. The potential health benefits of G. lucidum are systematized based on biological actions. The findings present evidence regarding the lack of certainty about the effects of G. lucidum bio-compounds in treating different forms of cancer, which may be due to the use of different types of Ganoderma formulations, differences in the study populations, or due to drug-disease interactions. In the future, larger clinical trials are needed to clarify the potential benefits of pharmaceutical preparations of G. lucidum, standardized by the known active components in the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Surgical Treatment of Osteosarcoma Induced Distant Pre-Metastatic Niche in Lung to Facilitate the Colonization of Circulating Tumor Cells

Recently, the major challenge in treating osteosarcoma patients is the metastatic disease, most commonly in the lungs. However, the underlying mechanism of recurrence and metastasis of osteosarcoma after surgical resection of primary tumor remains unclear. This study aims to investigate whether the pulmonary metastases characteristic of osteosarcoma is associated with surgical treatment and whether surgery contributes to the formation of pre-metastatic niche in the distant lung tissue. In the current study, the authors observe the presence of circulating tumor cells in patients undergoing surgical resection of osteosarcoma which is correlated to tumor recurrence. The pulmonary infiltrations of neutrophils and Gr-1+ myeloid cells are characterized to form a pre-metastatic niche upon the exposure of circulating tumor cells after surgical resection. It is found that mitochondrial damage-associated molecular patterns released from surgical resection contribute to the formation of pre-metastatic niche in lung through IL-1β secretion. This study reveals that surgical management for osteosarcoma, irrespective of the primary tumor, might promote the formation of postoperative pre-metastatic niche in lung which is with important implications for developing rational therapies during peri-operative period.

Defining the Basal and Immunomodulatory Mediator-Induced Phosphoprotein Signature in Pediatric B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (B-ALL) Diagnostic Samples

It is theorized that dysregulated immune responses to infectious insults contribute to the development of pediatric B-ALL. In this context, our understanding of the immunomodulatory-mediator-induced signaling responses of leukemic blasts in pediatric B-ALL diagnostic samples is rather limited. Hence, in this study, we defined the signaling landscape of leukemic blasts, as well as normal mature B cells and T cells residing in diagnostic samples from 63 pediatric B-ALL patients. These samples were interrogated with a range of immunomodulatory-mediators within 24 h of collection, and phosflow analyses of downstream proximal signaling nodes were performed. Our data reveal evidence of basal hyperphosphorylation across a broad swath of these signaling nodes in leukemic blasts in contrast to normal mature B cells and T cells in the same sample. We also detected similarities in the phosphoprotein signature between blasts and mature B cells in response to IFNγ and IL-2 treatment, but significant divergence in the phosphoprotein signature was observed between blasts and mature B cells in response to IL-4, IL-7, IL-10, IL-21 and CD40 ligand treatment. Our results demonstrate the existence of both symmetry and asymmetry in the phosphoprotein signature between leukemic and non-leukemic cells in pediatric B-ALL diagnostic samples.

The Role of Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Inflammation-Induced Carcinogenesis

Cancer is a process involving cell mutation, increased proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Over the years, this condition has represented one of the most concerning health problems worldwide due to its significant morbidity and mortality. At present, the incidence of cancer continues to grow exponentially. Thus, it is imperative to open new avenues in cancer research to understand the molecular changes driving DNA transformation, cell-to-cell interaction derangements, and immune system surveillance decay. In this regard, evidence supports the relationship between chronic inflammation and cancer. In light of this, a group of bioactive lipids derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may have a position as novel anti-inflammatory molecules known as the specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), a group of pro-resolutive inflammation agents that could improve the anti-tumor immunity. These molecules have the potential role of chemopreventive and therapeutic agents for various cancer types, and their effects have been documented in the scientific literature. Thus, this review objective centers around understanding the effect of SPMs on carcinogenesis and their potential therapeutic effect.

Identification of stromal cell proportion-related genes in the breast cancer tumor microenvironment using CorDelSFS feature selection: implications for tumor progression and prognosis

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) of breast cancer (BRCA) is a complex and dynamic micro-ecosystem that influences BRCA occurrence, progression, and prognosis through its cellular and molecular components. However, as the tumor progresses, the dynamic changes of stromal and immune cells in TME become unclear. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify differentially co-expressed genes (DCGs) associated with the proportion of stromal cells in TME of BRCA, to explore the patterns of cell proportion changes, and ultimately, their impact on prognosis. Methods: A new heuristic feature selection strategy (CorDelSFS) was combined with differential co-expression analysis to identify TME-key DCGs. The expression pattern and co-expression network of TME-key DCGs were analyzed across different TMEs. A prognostic model was constructed using six TME-key DCGs, and the correlation between the risk score and the proportion of stromal cells and immune cells in TME was evaluated. Results: TME-key DCGs mimicked the dynamic trend of BRCA TME and formed cell type-specific subnetworks. The IG gene-related subnetwork, plasmablast-specific expression, played a vital role in the BRCA TME through its adaptive immune function and tumor progression inhibition. The prognostic model showed that the risk score was significantly correlated with the proportion of stromal cells and immune cells in TME, and low-risk patients had stronger adaptive immune function. IGKV1D-39 was identified as a novel BRCA prognostic marker specifically expressed in plasmablasts and involved in adaptive immune responses. Conclusions: This study explores the role of proportionate-related genes in the tumor microenvironment using a machine learning approach and provides new insights for discovering the key biological processes in tumor progression and clinical prognosis.

Targeting Transcription Factor YY1 for Cancer Treatment: Current Strategies and Future Directions

Cancer represents a significant and persistent global health burden, with its impact underscored by its prevalence and devastating consequences. Whereas numerous oncogenes could contribute to cancer development, a group of transcription factors (TFs) are overactive in the majority of tumors. Targeting these TFs may also combat the downstream oncogenes activated by the TFs, making them attractive potential targets for effective antitumor therapeutic strategy. One such TF is yin yang 1 (YY1), which plays crucial roles in the development and progression of various tumors. In preclinical studies, YY1 inhibition has shown efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth, promoting apoptosis, and sensitizing tumor cells to chemotherapy. Recent studies have also revealed the potential of combining YY1 inhibition with immunotherapy for enhanced antitumor effects. However, clinical translation of YY1-targeted therapy still faces challenges in drug specificity and delivery. This review provides an overview of YY1 biology, its role in tumor development and progression, as well as the strategies explored for YY1-targeted therapy, with a focus on their clinical implications, including those using small molecule inhibitors, RNA interference, and gene editing techniques. Finally, we discuss the challenges and current limitations of targeting YY1 and the need for further research in this area.

Prognostic significance of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by diagnosis at an advanced stage, low rate of operability and poor survival. Therefore, there is a need for a biomarker in NSCLC patients to predict the likely outcome and to accurately stratify the patients in terms of the most appropriate treatment modality. To evaluate prognostic value of pretreatment neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in NSCLC. A total of 124 NSCLC patients (mean ± standard deviation age: 60.7 ± 9.3 years, 94.4% were males) were included in this retrospective study. Data were retrieved from the hospital records. The association of NLR and PLR with clinicopathological factors and overall survival was analyzed. One-year, 2-year and 5-year survival rates were 59.2%, 32.0%, and 16.2%, respectively. Median duration of survival was shorter in patient groups with elevated NLR and PLR. Five-year survival rate was quite lower in patient groups with elevated NLR and PLR. Hazard rate (HR) for mortality was 1.76 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-2.61, P = .005) for NLR ≥ 3 over NLR < 3. HR was 1.64 (95%CI: 1.11-2.42, P = .013) for PLR ≥ 150 over PLR < 150. Cox-regression analysis revealed that, when adjusted for other independent predictors of survival, NLR and PLR still remain significant predictors of poorer survival. Our findings indicate that elevated pretreatment NLR and PLR are associated with advanced disease and poor survival in NSCLC patients, NLR and PLR values are correlated with each other.

Targeting the IL1β Pathway for Cancer Immunotherapy Remodels the Tumor Microenvironment and Enhances Antitumor Immune Responses

High levels of IL1β can result in chronic inflammation, which in turn can promote tumor growth and metastasis. Inhibition of IL1β could therefore be a promising therapeutic option in the treatment of cancer. Here, the effects of IL1β blockade induced by the mAbs canakinumab and gevokizumab were evaluated alone or in combination with docetaxel, anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1), anti-VEGFα, and anti-TGFβ treatment in syngeneic and humanized mouse models of cancers of different origin. Canakinumab and gevokizumab did not show notable efficacy as single-agent therapies; however, IL1β blockade enhanced the effectiveness of docetaxel and anti-PD-1. Accompanying these effects, blockade of IL1β alone or in combination induced significant remodeling of the tumor microenvironment (TME), with decreased numbers of immune suppressive cells and increased tumor infiltration by dendritic cells (DC) and effector T cells. Further investigation revealed that cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) were the cell type most affected by treatment with canakinumab or gevokizumab in terms of change in gene expression. IL1β inhibition drove phenotypic changes in CAF populations, particularly those with the ability to influence immune cell recruitment. These results suggest that the observed remodeling of the TME following IL1β blockade may stem from changes in CAF populations. Overall, the results presented here support the potential use of IL1β inhibition in cancer treatment. Further exploration in ongoing clinical studies will help identify the best combination partners for different cancer types, cancer stages, and lines of treatment.

Molecular origins of mutational spectra produced by the environmental carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine and SN1 chemotherapeutic agents

DNA-methylating environmental carcinogens such as N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and certain alkylators used in chemotherapy form O 6-methylguanine (m6G) as a functionally critical intermediate. NDMA is a multi-organ carcinogen found in contaminated water, polluted air, preserved foods, tobacco products, and many pharmaceuticals. Only ten weeks after exposure to NDMA, neonatally-treated mice experienced elevated mutation frequencies in liver, lung and kidney of ∼35-fold, 4-fold and 2-fold, respectively. High-resolution mutational spectra (HRMS) of liver and lung revealed distinctive patterns dominated by GC→AT mutations in 5'-Pu-G-3' contexts, very similar to human COSMIC mutational signature SBS11. Commonly associated with alkylation damage, SBS11 appears in cancers treated with the DNA alkylator temozolomide (TMZ). When cells derived from the mice were treated with TMZ, N-methyl-N-nitrosourea, and streptozotocin (two other therapeutic methylating agents), all displayed NDMA-like HRMS, indicating mechanistically convergent mutational processes. The role of m6G in shaping the mutational spectrum of NDMA was probed by removing MGMT, the main cellular defense against m6G. MGMT-deficient mice displayed a strikingly enhanced mutant frequency, but identical HRMS, indicating that the mutational properties of these alkylators is likely owed to sequence-specific DNA binding. In sum, the HRMS of m6G-forming agents constitute an early-onset biomarker of exposure to DNA methylating carcinogens and drugs.

Plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican as potential diagnostic markers for non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the expression of plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its correlation with clinicopathological features, and to evaluate its diagnostic performance in NSCLC and its predictive function for NSCLC incidence and metastasis risk.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

There were 110 instances of NSCLC, 42 cases of benign lung disease, and 55 healthy controls from September 2018 to October 2020 at Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University. Blood was collected and plasma was separated before surgery, and plasma exosomes were extracted by ExoQuick kit. Morphological and molecular phenotype identification of exosomes was performed by transmission electron microscopy, Nanosight particle tracking analysis, and western blotting. Plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican were detected in all subjects to assess their expression levels and diagnostic value in NSCLC. Clinicopathological data were collected to explore correlations between abnormal plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican expression and clinicopathological parameters. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to judge its diagnostic performance in NSCLC, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to predict the risk of NSCLC incidence and metastasis.

RESULTS

Plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican expression in NSCLC patients was significantly upregulated and was significantly higher in T3 + T4 patients compared with T1 + T2 patients (P < 0.05); the levels of plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican were positively correlated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastases (e.g., brain, bone), and mutation(e.g., EGFR,ALK)in NSCLC patients (all P < 0.05). Furthermore, ROC curve analysis showed that plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican had higher AUC values than NSE, CYFRA21-1, and SCC, and better diagnostic performance in NSCLC patients. However, the AUC and diagnostic performances of plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican in advanced-stage NSCLC patients were not shown to be significantly better than CEA. The results of binary logistic regression analysis showed that high levels of plasma exosomal versican had higher predictive value for lung cancer incidence, while high levels of plasma versican had higher predictive value for lung cancer metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Our findings showed that plasma versican and plasma exosomal versican might be potential diagnostic markers for NSCLC. High plasma exosomal versican expression can be used as a predictor of NSCLC risk and high plasma versican expression can be used as a predictor of NSCLC metastasis risk.

Evaluating prognostic value of biliary stone in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by propensity score matching analysis

Background: To explore biliary tract stone (BTS) as prognostic factors of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods: Clinical data of 985 ICC patients were classified into no BTS group and BTS group-subgrouped into hepatolithiasis (HL) and non-hepatolithiasis (NHL) group. Propensity score matching was utilized to mitigate baseline characteristics. Preoperative peripheral inflammation parameters (PPIP) were further investigated. Immunostaining of CD3, CD4, CD8, CD68, PD1 and PD-L1 were conducted. Results: Overall survival (OS) of patients without BTS surpassed BTS group (P = 0.040) while no difference of time to recurrence (TTR) was observed (P = 0.146). HL group had shorter OS and TTR than HL-matched group (P < 0.001 and P = 0.017, respectively) and survival time of NHL group differed not with NHL-matched group (P > 0.05). PPIP like neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio (NLR), platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and systemic immune inflammation (SII) of HL group exceeded no BTS group or NHL group (all P < 0.05). Associations of PPIP and tumorous immunocytes differed vastly among HL group, NHL group and no BTS group. Tumorous CD4⁺/CD3⁺ ratio and PD1⁺/CD3⁺ ratio of HL group surpassed those in no BTS group (P = 0.036 and P < 0.001, respectively) and NHL group (P = 0.015 and 0.002, respectively). Para-tumorous CD68⁺ macrophages exceeded that in tumor samples of HL group (P < 0.001). No difference of CD8⁺/CD3⁺ lymphocyte ratio and PD-L1 rank were detected. Conclusions: Hepatolithiasis, rather than extra-hepatic biliary stone, is a poor prognostic indicator of ICC. Immunotherapy is promising in treating HL-related ICC.

Clinical and immunological features of patients with cancer-associated systemic sclerosis: An observational study

INTRODUCTION

Clinical and immunological features of patients with cancer-associated systemic sclerosis: an observational study.

OBJECTIVE

Several studies have reported an increased incidence of cancer in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). The presence of RNA polymerase III antibodies (anti-RNA Pol 3) associates with an increased risk of cancer, but other risk factors need yet to be identified. We aimed to assess clinical and immunological predictive factors of cancer-associated SSc to guide clinicians when setting up selective cancer screening.

METHODS

We conducted a monocentric, retrospective, observational study of SSc patients with and without associated malignancy. Clinical, laboratory and imaging data were collected, as well as SSc treatment. Subgroup analyses were performed according to the type of cancer and the time of diagnosis.

RESULTS

Of 464 SSc patients, 74 (16%) had cancer, with breast (n=26) and lung cancer (n=13) being the most frequent. Diagnosis of cancer was made less than 3 years before or after SSc diagnosis for 23 patients (31%). In a multivariate analysis, anti-RNA Pol 3 and anti-SSA antibodies were significantly associated with an increased overall risk of cancer with an odds ratio (OR) of 4.12 (95% CI [1.6-10.7]; P<0.01) and 2.43 (95% CI [1.1-5.4]; P<0.05), respectively. Age at diagnosis of SSc and delay from the SSc diagnosis were also independent risk factors of cancer. Interstitial lung disease and anti-topoisomerase antibodies were associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and cancer occuring more than three years after SSc diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

In addition to anti-RNA Pol 3 antibodies, anti-SSA antibodies associated with an increased risk of cancer in SSc patients. Interstitial lung disease was a risk factor specifically for lung cancer and cancers diagnosed more than 3 years after SSc diagnosis. For these patients, a systematic and regular cancer screening should be considered.

Prognostic value of soluble PD-L1 and exosomal PD-L1 in advanced gastric cancer patients receiving systemic chemotherapy

The prognostic role of soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) and exosomal PD-L1 (exoPD-L1) in patients with gastric cancer (GC) receiving systemic chemotherapy remains unelucidated. Thus, we examined their prognostic significance in patients with advanced GC. Blood samples were obtained from 99 patients with advanced GC receiving first-line chemotherapy. Serum-derived exosomes were isolated by centrifugation and polymer precipitation. The correlation between serum-derived exoPD-L1, plasma sPD-L1, immune-related markers, and circulating immune cells was evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups according to pretreatment sPD-L1 and exoPD-L1 levels: low sPD-L1 and high sPD-L1 groups, low exoPD-L1 and high exoPD-L1 groups. Patients with low sPD-L1 level before treatment (< 9.32 pg/mL) showed significantly better overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) than those with high sPD-L1 level (≥ 9.32 pg/mL). The low exoPD-L1 group (< 10.21 pg/mL) showed a tendency of longer PFS than the high exoPD-L1 group (≥ 10.21 pg/mL). Pretreatment sPD-L1 was an independent prognostic factor for OS in multivariate analysis. exoPD-L1 was associated with systemic inflammation markers, immunomodulatory cytokines, and T cells, while sPD-L1 was associated with tumor markers. Pretreatment plasma-derived sPD-L1 level could be used as a prognostic marker for patients receiving cytotoxic chemotherapy. Serum-derived exoPD-L1 may reflect the immunosuppressive state of patients with advanced GC.

NLRP3 inflammasome-induced pyroptosis in digestive system tumors

Programmed cell death (PCD) refers to cell death in a manner that depends on specific genes encoding signals or activities. PCD includes apoptosis, pyroptosis, autophagy and necrosis (programmed necrosis). Among these mechanisms, pyroptosis is mediated by the gasdermin family and is accompanied by inflammatory and immune responses. When pathogens or other danger signals are detected, cytokine action and inflammasomes (cytoplasmic multiprotein complexes) lead to pyroptosis. The relationship between pyroptosis and cancer is complex and the effect of pyroptosis on cancer varies in different tissue and genetic backgrounds. On the one hand, pyroptosis can inhibit tumorigenesis and progression; on the other hand, pyroptosis, as a pro-inflammatory death, can promote tumor growth by creating a microenvironment suitable for tumor cell growth. Indeed, the NLRP3 inflammasome is known to mediate pyroptosis in digestive system tumors, such as gastric cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, in which a pyroptosis-induced cellular inflammatory response inhibits tumor development. The same process occurs in hepatocellular carcinoma and some colorectal cancers. The current review summarizes mechanisms and pathways of pyroptosis, outlining the involvement of NLRP3 inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in digestive system tumors.

Use of Systemic Therapies for Treatment of Psoriasis in Patients with a History of Treated Solid Tumours: Inference-Based Guidance from a Multidisciplinary Expert Panel

BACKGROUND

Patients with treated solid tumours (TSTs) are a highly heterogeneous population at an increased risk for malignancy compared with the general population. When treating psoriasis in patients with a history of TSTs, clinicians are concerned about the immunosuppressive nature of psoriasis therapies, the possibility of augmenting cancer recurrence/progression, and infectious complications. No direct, high-level evidence exists to address these concerns.

OBJECTIVES

We aim to provide a structured framework supporting healthcare professional and patient discussions on the risks and benefits of systemic psoriasis therapy in patients with previously TSTs. Our goal was to address the clinically important question, "In patients with TSTs, does therapy with systemic agents used for psoriasis increase the risk of malignancy or malignancy recurrence?"

METHODS

We implemented an inference-based approach relying on indirect evidence when direct clinical trial and real-world data were absent. We reviewed indirect evidence supporting inferences on the status of immune function in patients with TSTs. Recommendations on systemic psoriasis therapies in patients with TSTs were derived using an inferential heuristic.

RESULTS

We identified five indirect indicators of iatrogenic immunosuppression informed by largely independent bodies of evidence: (1) overall survival, (2) rate of malignancies with psoriasis and systemic psoriasis therapies, (3) rate of infections with psoriasis and systemic psoriasis therapies, (4) common disease biochemical pathways for solid tumours and systemic psoriasis therapies, and (5) solid organ transplant outcomes. On the basis of review of the totality of this data, we provided inference-based conclusions and ascribed level of support for each statement.

CONCLUSIONS

Prior to considering new therapies for psoriasis, an understanding of cancer prognosis should be addressed. Patients with TSTs and a good cancer prognosis will have similar outcomes to non-TST patients when treated with systemic psoriasis therapies. For patients with TSTs and a poor cancer prognosis, the quality-of-life benefits of treating psoriasis may outweigh the theoretical risks.

Aptamer-Based Strategies to Boost Immunotherapy in TNBC

The immune system (IS) may play a crucial role in preventing tumor development and progression, leading, over the last years, to the development of effective cancer immunotherapies. Nevertheless, immune evasion, the capability of tumors to circumvent destructive host immunity, remains one of the main obstacles to overcome for maximizing treatment success. In this context, promising strategies aimed at reshaping the tumor immune microenvironment and promoting antitumor immunity are rapidly emerging. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), an aggressive breast cancer subtype with poor outcomes, is highly immunogenic, suggesting immunotherapy is a viable strategy. As evidence of this, already, two immunotherapies have recently become the standard of care for patients with PD-L1 expressing tumors, which, however, represent a low percentage of patients, making more active immunotherapeutic approaches necessary. Aptamers are short, highly structured, single-stranded oligonucleotides that bind to their protein targets at high affinity and specificity. They are used for therapeutic purposes in the same way as monoclonal antibodies; thus, various aptamer-based strategies are being actively explored to stimulate the IS’s response against cancer cells. The aim of this review is to discuss the potential of the recently reported aptamer-based approaches to boost the IS to fight TNBC.

A biomarker predicting unfavorable prognosis in malignant pleural mesothelioma: systemic immune–inflammation index

Aim: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an extremely mortal condition. Only a few prognostic biomarkers have been described for MPM. Our study looked into the association between patient survival and the Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII). Material and Method: A total of 158 patients who were admitted to our hospital between January 2013 and December 2022, and had a histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of MPM were included in the study. Before treatment, hematological parameters and SII were determined. A Spearman's correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation of mean survival with hematological parameters. Results: The study involved 158 patients in all. 70 patients had a history of smoking, the median age was 63 years, the mean survival time was 15.3 months, and 57.6% of the participants were men. The epithelioid type (84.2%) was the most prevalent histological subtype, and 29 patients had stage 4 illnesses. Of the participants, 84% had received chemotherapy, and 22% had received radiotherapy before. Among the 39 patients who had surgery, 5 had an extrapleural pneumonectomy. SII mean±sd was (1427.2±1207.3). The patients with stage 4 disease had significantly shorter survival (p=0.001). The patients who had surgery survived significantly longer (p=0.01). Hemoglobin (Hb) (r:0.21, p:0.01) and Hematocrit (Hct) (r:0.18, p:0.03) values showed weak positive correlations with mean survival. It was evident that mean survival got shorter as SII (r:-0.17, p:0.04) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) (r:-0.19, p:0.02) values got higher. On the other hand, there was a strong positive association between mean survival and the lymphocyte-monocyte ratio (LMR) (r:0.21, p:0.01). When the parameters that had statistically significant differences among the groups were taken as control variables and the statistical analysis was re-performed, it was found that Hgb and Hct values as well as NLR and LMR ratios lost their significant correlations with survival. However, the SII ratio was still negatively correlated with survival (r:-0.16, p:0.04). Conclusion: Pretreatment SII is a noninvasive and easy-to-calculate biomarker that predicts the prognosis of MPM. It is negatively correlated with mean survival regardless of the tumor stage and surgical management.

Current Understanding of Microbiomes in Cancer Metastasis

Cancer has been the first killer that threatens people's lives and health. Despite recent improvements in cancer treatment, metastasis continues to be the main reason for death from cancer. The functions of microbiome in cancer metastasis have been studied recently, and it is proved that microbiome can influence tumor metastasis, as well as positive or negative responses to therapy. Here, we summarize the mechanisms of microorganisms affecting cancer metastasis, which include epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), immunity, fluid shear stress (FSS), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). This review will not only give a further understanding of relationship between microbiome and cancer metastasis, but also provide a new perspective for the microbiome's application in cancer metastasis prevention, early detection, and treatment.

Mechanism of inflammasomes in cancer and targeted therapies

Inflammasomes, composed of the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain(NOD)-like receptors (NLRs), are immune-functional protein multimers that are closely linked to the host defense mechanism. When NLRs sense pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), they assemble into inflammasomes. Inflammasomes can activate various inflammatory signaling pathways, including nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways, and produce a large number of proinflammatory cytokines, which are closely associated with multiple cancers. They can also accelerate the occurrence and development of cancer by providing suitable tumor microenvironments, promoting tumor cell proliferation, and inhibiting tumor cell apoptosis. Therefore, the exploitation of novel targeted drugs against various inflammasomes and proinflammatory cytokines is a new idea for the treatment of cancer. In recent years, more than 50 natural extracts and synthetic small molecule targeted drugs have been reported to be in the research stage or have been applied to the clinic. Herein, we will overview the mechanisms of inflammasomes in common cancers and discuss the therapeutic prospects of natural extracts and synthetic targeted agents.

TIPE2 acts as a tumor suppressor and correlates with tumor microenvironment immunity in epithelial ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is one of the deadliest gynecologic cancers. The etiology of EOC has still not been elucidated thoroughly. Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like2 (TNFAIP8L2, TIPE2), an important regulator of inflammation and immune homeostasis, plays a critical role in the progression of various cancers. This study aims to investigate the role of TIPE2 in EOC.

METHODS

Expression of TIPE2 protein and mRNA in EOC tissues and cell lines was examined using Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The functions of TIPE2 in EOC were investigated by cell proliferation assay, colony assay, transwell assay, and apoptosis analysis in vitro. To further investigate the regulatory mechanisms of TIPE2 in EOC, RNA-seq and western blot were performed. Finally, the CIBERSORT algorithm and databases including Tumor Immune Single-cell Hub (TISCH), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Tumor-Immune System Interaction (TISIDB), and The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) were used to elucidate its potential role in regulating tumor immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment (TME).

RESULTS

TIPE2 expression was shown to be considerably lower in both EOC samples and cell lines. Overexpression of TIPE2 suppressed EOC cell proliferation, colony formation, and motility in vitro. Mechanistically, TIPE2 suppressed EOC by blocking the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, according to bioinformatics analysis and western blot in TIPE2 overexpression EOC cell lines, and the anti-oncogenic potentials of TIPE2 in EOC cells could be partially abrogated by the PI3K agonist, 740Y-P. Finally, TIPE2 expression was positively associated with various immune cells and possibly involved in the regulation of macrophage polarization in ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

We detail the regulatory mechanism of TIPE2 in EOC carcinogenesis, as well as how it correlates with immune infiltration, emphasizing its potential as a therapeutic target in ovarian cancer.

A novel sorbicillinoid compound as a potent anti-inflammation agent through inducing NLRP3 protein degradation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Chronic inflammation is pathogenic and contributes to human diseases, causing a significant threat to public health. The NLR family pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) is the best-characterized factor regulating inflammation. Therefore, targeting NLRP3 has the potential to treat inflammatory diseases and improve human health.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Lipopolysaccharide was used to induce inflammation in cell cultures. Lipopolysaccharide/d-galactosamine and dextran sulfate sodium salt were used to induce acute liver inflammation and ulcerative colitis respectively in C57BL/6J mice. Western blotting, immunofluorescence, immunoprecipitation, quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to evaluate the activation of the inflammatory response in cell cultures and in mice.

KEY RESULTS

JNUTS013, a novel sorbicillinoid compound recently synthesized by us, significantly inhibited inflammation both in cell cultures and in mouse models. Mechanistically, JNUTS013 induced proteasome-dependent degradation of NLRP3. Hence, it suppressed the formation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and the production of downstream inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. The inhibitory effect of JNUTS013 on NLRP3 protein expression was confirmed in mice. Importantly, JNUTS013 failed to ameliorate bowel inflammation in Nlrp3^-/- knockout mice, supporting NLRP3 as the biological target by which JNUTS013 inhibits inflammation. Further studies revealed critical chemical moieties of JNUTS013 required for inducing NLRP3 degradation.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

This study identifies a novel compound JNUTS013 that inhibits inflammation through inducing NLRP3 protein degradation in vitro and in vivo, which not only supports the development of JNUTS013 as an anti-inflammation agent but also creates a new way for the treatment of inflammation by chemically inducing NLRP3 degradation.

Short-term prognostic role of peripheral lymphocyte subsets in patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Immune function is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with gastric cancer. This study aimed to explore the prognostic role of peripheral lymphocyte subsets in patients with gastric cancer after curative surgery.

METHODS

This retrospective study was conducted at a single tertiary referral hospital. We included patients diagnosed with gastric cancer who had undergone surgery and met the inclusion criteria. Clinicopathological characteristics and preoperative peripheral lymphocyte subset data were collected for the analysis. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier curve and Cox hazard regression model. We used the Whitney test and Spearman test to analyze the correlation between lymphocyte subsets and clinicopathological characteristics.

RESULTS

This study included 171 patients with gastric cancer who underwent curative surgery. Multivariate analysis revealed that carcinoembryonic antigen (p < 0.01), carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (p < 0.001), lymph node metastases (p < 0.001), total T-cell count (p = 0.02), B-cell count (p < 0.01), and regulatory T-cell percentage (p < 0.01) were independent predictive factors associated with RFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired immune function may lead to early recurrence following curative surgery. Our study showed that the characteristics of peripheral lymphocyte subsets (T, B, and Treg cells) were independent predictive factors for recurrence in patients with gastric cancer after surgery.

Upregulation of PD-L1 by SARS-CoV-2 promotes immune evasion

Patients with severe COVID-19 often suffer from lymphopenia, which is linked to T-cell sequestration, cytokine storm, and mortality. However, it remains largely unknown how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) induces lymphopenia. Here, we studied the transcriptomic profile and epigenomic alterations involved in cytokine production by SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. We adopted a reverse time-order gene coexpression network approach to analyze time-series RNA-sequencing data, revealing epigenetic modifications at the late stage of viral egress. Furthermore, we identified SARS-CoV-2-activated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1) pathways contributing to viral infection and COVID-19 severity through epigenetic analysis of H3K4me3 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. Cross-referencing our transcriptomic and epigenomic data sets revealed that coupling NF-κB and IRF1 pathways mediate programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immunosuppressive programs. Interestingly, we observed higher PD-L1 expression in Omicron-infected cells than SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. Blocking PD-L1 at an early stage of virally-infected AAV-hACE2 mice significantly recovered lymphocyte counts and lowered inflammatory cytokine levels. Our findings indicate that targeting the SARS-CoV-2-mediated NF-κB and IRF1-PD-L1 axis may represent an alternative strategy to reduce COVID-19 severity.

Autoimmune diseases as comorbidities for liver, gallbladder, and biliary duct cancers in Sweden

BACKGROUND

Autoimmune diseases are associated with many cancers but there is a lack of population-based studies with different autoimmune diseases that have a long follow-up. This is also true of hepatobiliary cancers, which include hepatocellular cancer (HCC) and rarer entities of gallbladder cancer (GBC), intra- and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA and eCCA), and ampullary cancer.

METHODS

Diagnostic data on 43 autoimmune diseases were collected from the Swedish Inpatient Register from 1987 to 2018, and cancer data were derived from the national cancer registry from 1997 onward. Relative risks were expressed as standardized incidence ratios (SIRs).

RESULTS

In a population of 13.6 million, 1.1 million autoimmune diseases were diagnosed and subsequent hepatobiliary cancer was diagnosed in 3191 patients (17.2% of cancers). SIRs for HCC were 2.73 (men) and 2.86 (women), 3.74/1.96 for iCCA, 2.65/1.37 for GBC, 2.38/1.64 for eCCA, and 1.80/1.85 for ampullary cancer. Significant associations between autoimmune disease and HCC were observed for 13 autoimmune diseases, with the highest risks being for autoimmune hepatitis (48.92/73.53, men/women) and primary biliary cirrhosis (38.03/54.48). GBC was increased after six autoimmune diseases, with high SIRs for ulcerative colitis (12.22/3.24) and men with Crohn disease (9.16). These autoimmune diseases were also associated with a high risk of iCCA, which had seven other associations, and eCCA, which had five other associations. Ampullary cancer occurrence was increased after four autoimmune diseases.

CONCLUSION

An autoimmune disease is a common precursor condition for hepatobiliary cancers. This calls for careful control of autoimmune disease symptoms in each patient and encouragement to practice a healthy lifestyle.

Inflammatory cytokine-enriched microenvironment plays key roles in the development of breast cancers

As the incidence of breast cancer continues to increase, it is critical to develop prevention strategies for this disease. Inflammation underlies the onset of the disease, and NF-κB is a master transcription factor for inflammation. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is activated in a variety of cell types, including normal epithelial cells, cancer cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and immune cells. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is the earliest stage of breast cancer, and not all DCIS lesions develop into invasive breast cancers (IBC). Currently, most patients with DCIS undergo surgery with postoperative therapy, although there is a risk of overtreatment. In BRCA mutants, receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK)-positive progenitors serve as the cell of origin, and treatment using the RANK monoclonal antibody reduces the risk of IBC. There is still an unmet need to diagnose malignant DCIS, which has the potential to progress to IBC, and to establish appropriate prevention strategies. We recently demonstrated novel molecular mechanisms for NF-κB activation in premalignant mammary tissues, which include DCIS, and the resultant cytokine-enriched microenvironment is essential for breast cancer development. On the early endosomes in a few epithelial cells, the adaptor protein FRS2β, forming a complex with ErbB2, carries the IκB kinase (IKK) complex and leads to the activation of NF-κB, thereby inducing a variety of cytokines. Therefore, the FRS2β-NFκB axis in the inflammatory premalignant environment could be targetable to prevent IBC. Further analysis of the molecular mechanisms of inflammation in the premalignant microenvironment is necessary to prevent the risk of IBC.

The role of intestinal immune cells and matrix metalloproteinases in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has become globally intractable. MMPs play a key role in many inflammatory diseases. However, little is known about the role of MMPs in IBD. In this study, IBD expression profiles were screened from public Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that IBD-related specific functions were associated with immune pathways. Five MMPS-related disease markers, namely MMP-9, CD160, PTGDS, SLC26A8, and TLR5, were selected by machine learning and the correlation between each marker and immune cells was evaluated. We then induced colitis in C57 mice using sodium dextran sulfate and validated model construction through HE staining of the mouse colon. WB and immunofluorescence experiments confirmed that the expression levels of MMP-9, PTGDS, SLC26A8, and CD160 in colitis were significantly increased, whereas that of TLR5 were decreased. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that MMPs regulate intestinal inflammation and immunity mainly through CD8 in colitis. Our findings reveal that MMPs play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of IBD and are related to the infiltration of immune cells, suggesting that MMPs may promote the development of IBD by activating immune infiltration and the immune response. This study provides insights for further studies on the occurrence and development of IBD.