Cross-talk between the Tissue Factor/coagulation factor VIIa complex and the tyrosine kinase receptor EphA2 in cancer

Recent advances of the Ephrin and Eph family in cardiovascular development and pathologies

Erythropoietin-producing hepatoma (Eph) receptors, comprising the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), exert profound influence on diverse biological processes and pathological conditions such as cancer. Interacting with their corresponding ligands, erythropoietin-producing hepatoma receptor interacting proteins (Ephrins), Eph receptors regulate crucial events like embryonic development, tissue boundary formation, and tumor cell survival. In addition to their well-established roles in embryonic development and cancers, emerging evidence highlights the pivotal contribution of the Ephrin/Eph family to cardiovascular physiology and pathology. Studies have elucidated their involvement in cardiovascular development, atherosclerosis, postnatal angiogenesis, and, more recently, cardiac fibrosis and calcification, suggesting a promising avenue for therapeutic interventions in cardiovascular diseases. There remains a need for a comprehensive synthesis of their collective impact in the cardiovascular context. By exploring the intricate interactions between Eph receptors, ephrins, and cardiovascular system, this review aims to provide a holistic understanding of their roles and therapeutic potential in cardiovascular health and diseases.

Rapid generation of functional nanovesicles from human trophectodermal cells for embryo attachment and outgrowth

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are important mediators of embryo attachment and outgrowth critical for successful implantation. While EVs have garnered immense interest in their therapeutic potential in assisted reproductive technology by improving implantation success, their large-scale generation remains a major challenge. Here, we report a rapid and scalable production of nanovesicles (NVs) directly from human trophectoderm cells (hTSCs) via serial mechanical extrusion of cells; these NVs can be generated in approximately 6 h with a 20-fold higher yield than EVs isolated from culture medium of the same number of cells. NVs display similar biophysical traits (morphologically intact, spherical, 90-130 nm) to EVs, and are laden with hallmark players of implantation that include cell-matrix adhesion and extracellular matrix organisation proteins (ITGA2/V, ITGB1, MFGE8) and antioxidative regulators (PRDX1, SOD2). Functionally, NVs are readily taken up by low-receptive endometrial HEC1A cells and reprogram their proteome towards a receptive phenotype that support hTSC spheroid attachment. Moreover, a single dose treatment with NVs significantly enhanced adhesion and spreading of mouse embryo trophoblast on fibronectin matrix. Thus, we demonstrate the functional potential of NVs in enhancing embryo implantation and highlight their rapid and scalable generation, amenable to clinical utility.

The EPH/Ephrin System in Colorectal Cancer

The EPH/ephrin system constitutes a bidirectional signaling pathway comprised of a family of tyrosine kinase receptors in tandem with their plasma membrane-bound ligand (ephrins). Its significance in a wide variety of physiologic and pathologic processes has been recognized during the past decades. In carcinogenesis, EPH/ephrins coordinate a wide spectrum of pathologic processes, such as angiogenesis, vessel infiltration, and metastasis. Despite the recent advances in colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis and treatment, it remains a leading cause of death globally, accounting for 9.2% of all cancer deaths. A growing body of literature has been published lately revitalizing our scientific interest towards the role of EPH/ephrins in pathogenesis and the treatment of CRC. The aim of the present review is to present the recent CRC data which might lead to clinical practice changes in the future.

A review on the role of different ephrins in glioma

Gliomas, tumors of glial cells, are the most common malignant tumors of the brain. Ephrins are protein ligands that act through tyrosine kinases receptor family, Eph receptors. In glioma, an inverse relationship has been identified between ephrin A1 ligand and EphA2 receptors i.e. there has been a decrease in the expression of ephrin A1 and increase in the expression of EphA2. The forced expression of ephrin A1 decreases the proliferation of glioma by internalizing the EphA2 receptors. The ligand (ephrin A1)-independent effects of EphA2 receptors are oncogenic in nature, while the binding of EphA2 with ephrin A1 decreases the glioma proliferation. An increase in EphA4 may be important in enhancing cellular proliferation and migration of glioblastoma through FGFR-MAPK-Akt signaling pathway, while a decrease in the expression of EphA5 may be crucial in increasing the cellular proliferation and thus, ephrin A5 acts as a tumor suppressor in glioma by negatively regulating the expression of EGFR. The higher expression levels of EphB2 and its ligand, ephrin B1 may decrease the cell adhesion and increase the invasion capacity of glioma through HIF-2α-EphB2-paxillin signalling. There is also a key role of ephrin B2 and EphB2 in promoting migration, invasion and conferring resistance to glioma cell. Ephrin B2 contributes in the pathogenesis of glioma by promoting angiogenesis through VEGF-A. An increase in ephrin B3 may also be important in the increasing tumorigenicity of glioma. The present review describes the role of different ephrins in the pathogenesis of glioma.

Long Noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 Promotes Immunosuppression in Sepsis by Inducing T Cell Exhaustion

Sepsis is an acute life-threatening disorder associated with multiorgan dysfunction that remains the leading cause of death in intensive care units. As sepsis progresses, it causes prolonged immunosuppression, which results in sustained mortality, morbidity, and susceptibility to secondary infections. Using a mouse model of sepsis, we found that the long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 (HOXA transcript antisense RNA myeloid-specific 1) was highly expressed in mice during the late phase of sepsis. The upregulation of HOTAIRM1 was induced by Notch/Hes1 activation and, moreover, was critical for the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment. HOTAIRM1 induced T cell exhaustion by increasing the percentage of PD-1⁺ T cells and regulatory T cells, accompanied by elevated PD-L1. Blockade of either Notch/Hes1 signaling or HOTAIRM1 inhibited T cell exhaustion in late sepsis, having alleviated lung injury and improved survival of mice. Further mechanistic studies identified HOXA1 as a key transcription factor targeted by HOTAIRM1 to regulate PD-L1 expression in lung alveolar epithelial cells. These results implicated that the Notch/Hes1/HOTAIRM1/HOXA1/PD-L1 axis was critical for sepsis-induced immunosuppression and could be a potential target for sepsis therapies.

Tissue Factor-Enriched Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promote Immunothrombosis and Disease Progression in Sepsis-Induced Lung Injury

Background

Patients with sepsis may progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Evidence of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in sepsis-induced lung injury has been reported. However, the role of circulating NETs in the progression and thrombotic tendency of sepsis-induced lung injury remains elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of tissue factor-enriched NETs in the progression and immunothrombosis of sepsis-induced lung injury.

Methods

Human blood samples and an animal model of sepsis-induced lung injury were used to detect and evaluate NET formation in ARDS patients. Immunofluorescence imaging, ELISA, Western blotting, and qPCR were performed to evaluate in vitro NET formation and tissue factor (TF) delivery ability. DNase, an anti-TF antibody, and thrombin inhibitors were applied to evaluate the contribution of thrombin to TF-enriched NET formation and the contribution of TF-enriched NETs to immunothrombosis in ARDS patients.

Results

Significantly increased levels of TF-enriched NETs were observed in ARDS patients and mice. Blockade of NETs in ARDS mice alleviated disease progression, indicating a reduced lung wet/dry ratio and PaO2 level. In vitro data demonstrated that thrombin-activated platelets were responsible for increased NET formation and related TF exposure and subsequent immunothrombosis in ARDS patients.

Conclusion

The interaction of thrombin-activated platelets with PMNs in ARDS patients results in local NET formation and delivery of active TF. The notion that NETs represent a mechanism by which PMNs release thrombogenic signals during thrombosis may offer novel therapeutic targets.

Proteolytic Cleavage of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases

The receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are a large family of cell-surface receptors, which are essential components of signal transduction pathways. There are more than fifty human RTKs that can be grouped into multiple RTK subfamilies. RTKs mediate cellular signaling transduction, and they play important roles in the regulation of numerous cellular processes. The dysregulation of RTK signaling is related to various human diseases, including cancers. The proteolytic cleavage phenomenon has frequently been found among multiple receptor tyrosine kinases. More and more information about proteolytic cleavage in RTKs has been discovered, providing rich insight. In this review, we summarize research about different aspects of RTK cleavage, including its relation to cancer, to better elucidate this phenomenon. This review also presents proteolytic cleavage in various members of the RTKs.

Linking invasive motility to protein expression in single tumor cells

The invasion of malignant cells into tissue is a critical step in the progression of cancer. While it is increasingly appreciated that cells within a tumor differ in their invasive potential, it remains nearly unknown how these differences relate to cell-to-cell variations in protein expression. Here, we introduce a microfluidic platform that integrates measurements of invasive motility and protein expression for single cells, which we use to scrutinize human glioblastoma tumor-initiating cells (TICs). Our live-cell imaging microdevice is comprised of polyacrylamide microchannels that exhibit tissue-like stiffness and present chemokine gradients along each channel. Due to intrinsic differences in motility, cell subpopulations separate along the channel axis. The separated cells are then lysed in situ and each single-cell lysate is subjected to western blotting in the surrounding polyacrylamide matrix. We observe correlations between motility and Nestin and EphA2 expression. We identify protein-protein correlations within single TICs, which would be obscured with population-based assays. The integration of motility traits with single-cell protein analysis - on the same cell - offers a new means to identify druggable targets of invasive capacity.

A stromal cell population in the large intestine identified by tissue factor expression that is lost during colorectal cancer progression

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, and the composition of the tumour stroma is a strong predictor of survival in this cancer type. Tissue factor (TF) functions as the trigger of haemostasis together with its ligand coagulation factor VII/VIIa, and TF expression has been found in tumour cells of colorectal tumours. However, TF expression in the CRC tumour stroma or its relationship to patient outcome has not yet been studied. To address this question we developed and validated a specific anti-TF antibody using standardised methods within the Human Protein Atlas project. We used this antibody to investigate TF expression in normal colorectal tissue and CRC using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry in two patient cohorts. TF was strongly expressed in a cell population immediately adjacent to the colorectal epithelium. These TF-positive cells were ACTA2-negative but weakly vimentin-positive, defining a specific population of pericryptal sheath cells. In colorectal tumours, TF-positive sheath cells were progressively lost after the adenoma-to-carcinoma transition, demonstrating downregulation of this source of TF in CRC. Furthermore, loss of sheath cell TF was significantly associated with poor overall and disease-specific survival in rectal but not colon cancers. In conclusion, we demonstrate that TF is a marker of a specific cell population in the large intestine, which is lost during CRC progression. Our results highlight the role of the tumour stroma in this cancer type and suggest TF to be a potential prognostic biomarker in rectal cancers through the identification of pericryptal sheath cells.