Mesenchymal stromal cells induce inhibitory effects on hepatocellular carcinoma through various signaling pathways

Effects of mesenchymal stem cells versus curcumin on sonic hedgehog signaling in experimental model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) is a fundamental signaling pathway that controls tissue reconstruction, stem cell biology, and differentiation and has a role in gut tissue homeostasis and development. Dysregulation of SHH leads to the development of HCC.

METHODS, AND RESULTS

The present study was conducted to compare the effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and curcumin on SHH molecular targets in an experimental model of HCC in rats. One hundred rats were divided equally into the following groups: control group, HCC group, HCC group received MSCs, HCC group received curcumin, and HCC group received MSCs and curcumin. Histopathological examinations were performed, and gene expression of SHH signaling target genes (SHH, PTCH1, SMOH, and GLI1) was assessed by real-time PCR in rat liver tissue. Results showed that SHH target genes were significantly upregulated in HCC-untreated rat groups and in MSC-treated groups, with no significant difference between them. Administration of curcumin with or without combined administration of MSCs led to a significant down-regulation of SHH target genes, with no significant differences between both groups. As regards the histopathological examination of liver tissues, both curcumin and MSCs, either through separate use or their combined use, led to a significant restoration of normal liver pathology.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, SHH signaling is upregulated in the HCC experimental model. MSCs do not inhibit the upregulated SHH target genes in HCC. Curcumin use with or without MSCs administration led to a significant down-regulation of SHH signaling in HCC and a significant restoration of normal liver pathology.

Single-cell transcriptomic analyses of tumor microenvironment and molecular reprograming landscape of metastatic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a malignant tumor with a high probability of metastasis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a critical role in cancer metastasis. To gain insights into the TME of LSCC, we conducted single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) on samples collected from LSCC patients with or without lymphatic metastasis. The stem and immune cell signatures in LSCC suggest their roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. Infiltration of a large number of regulatory T cells, dysplastic plasma cells, and macrophages that are at the early development stage in the cancerous tissue indicates an immunosuppressive state. Abundant neutrophils detected at the cancer margins reflect the inflammatory microenvironment. In addition to dynamic ligand-receptor interactions between the stromal and myeloid cells, the enhanced autophagy in endothelial cells and fibroblasts implies a role in nutrient supply. Taken together, the comprehensive atlas of LSCC obtained allowed us to identify a complex yet unique TME of LSCC, which may help identify potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LSCC.

Stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment: accomplices of tumor progression?

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is made up of cells and extracellular matrix (non-cellular component), and cellular components include cancer cells and non-malignant cells such as immune cells and stromal cells. These three types of cells establish complex signals in the body and further influence tumor genesis, development, metastasis and participate in resistance to anti-tumor therapy. It has attracted scholars to study immune cells in TME due to the significant efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) and chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) in solid tumors and hematologic tumors. After more than 10 years of efforts, the role of immune cells in TME and the strategy of treating tumors based on immune cells have developed rapidly. Moreover, ICI have been recommended by guidelines as first- or second-line treatment strategies in a variety of tumors. At the same time, stromal cells is another major class of cellular components in TME, which also play a very important role in tumor metabolism, growth, metastasis, immune evasion and treatment resistance. Stromal cells can be recruited from neighboring non-cancerous host stromal cells and can also be formed by transdifferentiation from stromal cells to stromal cells or from tumor cells to stromal cells. Moreover, they participate in tumor genesis, development and drug resistance by secreting various factors and exosomes, participating in tumor angiogenesis and tumor metabolism, regulating the immune response in TME and extracellular matrix. However, with the deepening understanding of stromal cells, people found that stromal cells not only have the effect of promoting tumor but also can inhibit tumor in some cases. In this review, we will introduce the origin of stromal cells in TME as well as the role and specific mechanism of stromal cells in tumorigenesis and tumor development and strategies for treatment of tumors based on stromal cells. We will focus on tumor-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), tumor-associated adipocytes (CAAs), tumor endothelial cells (TECs) and pericytes (PCs) in stromal cells.

The effects of mesenchymal stem cells on the chemotherapy of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been the third commonest cancer in the world. The prognosis of patients with CRC is related to the molecular subtypes and gene mutations, which is prone to recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a group of progenitor ones with the capabilities of self-renewal， multi-directional differentiation, and tissue re-population, which could be isolated from various kinds of tissues and be differentiated into diverse cell types. In recent years, MSCs are applied for mechanisms study of tissue repairing, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and autoimmune-related disease, and tumor development, with the advantages of anti-inflammation, multi-lineage differentiation, and homing capability. Integrating the chemotherapy and MSCs therapy might provide a novel treatment approach for CRC patients. In this review, we summarize the current progress in the integrated treatment of integrating the MSCs and chemotherapy for CRC.

Role of AHR, NF-kB and CYP1A1 crosstalk with the X protein of Hepatitis B virus in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

In this study, it was aimed to elucidate the interaction between aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB), and cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) with hepatitis B virus X protein (HBX) in a human liver cancer cell line (HepG2) transfected with HBX. First, AHR, NF-kB, and CYP1A1 genes were cloned into the appropriate region of the CheckMate mammalian two-hybrid recipient plasmids using a flexi vector system. Renilla and firefly luciferases were quantified using the dual-luciferase reporter assay system to measure the interactions. Secondly, transient transfections of CYP1A1 and NF-kB (RelA) were performed into HBX-positive and HBX-negative HepG2 cells. The mRNA expression of CYP1A1 and NF-kB genes were confirmed with RT-PCR, and cell viability was measured by WST-1. Further verification was assessed by measuring the activity and protein level of CYP1A1. Additionally, CYP1A1/HBX protein-protein interactions were performed with co-immunoprecipitation, which demonstrated no interaction. These results have clearly shown that the NF-kB and AHR genes interact with HBX without involving CYP1A1 and HBX protein-protein interactions. The present study confirms that AHR and NF-kB interaction plays a role in the HBV mechanism mediated via HBX and coordinating the carcinogenic or inflammatory responses; still, the CYP1A1 gene has no effect on this interaction.

Mesenchymal stem cells-based therapy in liver diseases

Multiple immune cells and their products in the liver together form a complex and unique immune microenvironment, and preclinical models have demonstrated the importance of imbalances in the hepatic immune microenvironment in liver inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases. Various immunotherapies have been attempted to modulate the hepatic immune microenvironment for the purpose of treating liver diseases. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a comprehensive and plastic immunomodulatory capacity. On the one hand, they have been tried for the treatment of inflammatory liver diseases because of their excellent immunosuppressive capacity; On the other hand, MSCs have immune-enhancing properties in immunocompromised settings and can be modified into cellular carriers for targeted transport of immune enhancers by genetic modification, physical and chemical loading, and thus they are also used in the treatment of immunocompromised liver diseases such as chronic viral infections and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this review, we discuss the immunological basis and recent strategies of MSCs for the treatment of the aforementioned liver diseases. Specifically, we update the immune microenvironment of the liver and summarize the distinct mechanisms of immune microenvironment imbalance in inflammatory diseases and immunocompromised liver diseases, and how MSCs can fully exploit their immunotherapeutic role in liver diseases with both immune imbalance patterns.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Umbilical Cord Blood having Excellent Stemness Properties with Therapeutic Benefits - a New Era in Cancer Treatment

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most promising candidates for cellular therapies, and most therapeutic applications have focused on MSCs produced from adult bone marrow, despite mounting evidence that MSCs are present in a wide range of conditions. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is a valuable source of hematopoietic stem cells, but its therapeutic potential extends beyond the hematopoietic component, which also suggests solid organ regenerative potential. With potential ranging from embryonic-like to lineage-committed progenitor cells, many different stems and progenitor cell populations have been postulated. MSC is currently inferred by numerous clinical applications for human UCB. aAs stem cell therapy kicks off some new research and these cells show such a boon to stem cell therapy, it is nevertheless characteristic that the prospect of UCB conservation is gaining momentum. Taken together, the experience described here shows that MSCs derived from UCB are seen as attractive therapeutic candidates for various human disorders including cancer. It is argued that a therapeutic stem cell transplant, using stem cells from UCB, provides a reliable repository of early precursor cells that can be useful in a large number of different conditions, considering issues of safety, availability, transplant methodology, rejection, and side effects. In particular, we focus on the concept of isolation and expansion, comparing the phenotype with MSC derived from the UCB, describing the ability to differentiate, and lastly, the therapeutic potential concerning stromal support, stemness characteristic, immune modulation, and cancer stem cell therapy. Thus it is an overview of the therapeutic application of UCB derived MSCs, with a special emphasis on cancer. Besides, the current evidence on the double-edged sword of MSCs in cancer treatment and the latest advances in UCB-derived MSC in cancer research will be discussed.

Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in cancer therapy

The multipotent mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), initially discovered from bone marrow in 1976, have been identified in nearly all tissues of human body now. The multipotency of MSCs allows them to give rise to osteocytes, chondrocytes, adipocytes, and other lineages. Moreover, armed with the immunomodulation capacity and tumor-homing property, MSCs are of special relevance for cell-based therapies in the treatment of cancer. However, hampered by lack of knowledge about the controversial roles that MSC plays in the crosstalk with tumors, limited progress has been made with regard to translational medicine. Therefore, in this review, we discuss the prospects of MSC-associated anticancer strategies in light of therapeutic mechanisms and signal transduction pathways. In addition, the clinical trials designed to appraise the efficacy and safety of MSC-based anticancer therapies will be assessed according to published data.

Targeting molecular signal transduction pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma and its implications for cancer therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a substantial health concern. It is currently the third dominating cause of mortality associated with cancer worldwide. The development of hepatocellular carcinoma is an intricate process that encompasses the impairment of genetic, epigenetic, and signal transduction mechanisms contributing to an aberrant metabolic system, enabling tumorigenesis. Throughout the past decade, research has led to the revelation of molecular pathways implicated in the progression of this notorious disorder. The altered signal transduction pathways, such as the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, phosphoinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, WNT/β-catenin pathway, hepatocyte growth factor/c-MET pathway, and just another kinase/signal transducers and activators of transcription signaling pathway is of much therapeutic significance, as targeting them may avail to revert, retard or avert hepatocarcinogenesis. The present review article sums up the contemporary knowledge of such signaling mechanisms, including their therapeutic targets and betokens that novel and efficacious therapies can be developed only by the keen understanding of their character in hepatocarcinogenesis. In additament, we address the role of consequential therapeutic agents and preclinical nondrug therapies known for combating hepatocarcinogenesis.

Single sample scoring of hepatocellular carcinoma: A study based on data mining

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a high mortality malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Because the immune system plays a dual role by assisting the host barrier and tumor progression, there are complex interactions with considerable prognostic significance. Herein, we performed single-sample gene set enrichment (ssGSEA) to explore the tumor microenvironment (TME) and quantify the tumor-infiltrating immune cell (TIIC) subgroups of immune responses based on the HCC cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We evaluate molecular subpopulations, survival, function, and expression differential associations, as well as reveal potential targets, and biomarkers for immunotherapy. We combined the TME score and the 29 immune cell types in the low, medium, and high immunity groups. The stromal score, immune score, and ESTIMATE score were positively correlated with immune activity but negatively correlated with the tumor purity. There were 23 human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-related genes that were significantly different. However, KIAA1429 was not significant among the different immunity groups. Besides, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) expression increased with the increase of immune activity. This may provide valuable information for HCC immunotherapy. We also found that there was no significant difference in naïve B cells, macrophages M1, activated mast cells, resting natural killer (NK) cells, and T cells gamma delta among the different immunity groups. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that the differential proteins were mainly enriched in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) metabolism, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis-heparan sulfate/heparin, glycosphingolipid biosynthesis-ganglio series and proteasome. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the immune scene, uncovering remarkable immune infiltration patterns of various subtypes of HCC using ssGSEA. This study advances the understanding of immune response and provides a basis for research to enhance immunotherapy.

Role of iron and iron-related proteins in mesenchymal stem cells: Cellular and clinical aspects

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are located in various tissues where these cells show niche-dependent multilineage differentiation and secrete immunomodulatory molecules to support numerous physiological processes. Due to their regenerative and reparative properties, MSCs are extremely valuable for cell-based therapy in tackling several pathological conditions including COVID-19. Iron is essential for MSC processes but iron-loading, which is common in several chronic conditions, hinders normal MSC functionality. This not only aggravates disease pathology but can also affect allogeneic and autologous MSC therapy. Thus, understanding MSCs from an iron perspective is of clinical significance. Accordingly, this review highlights the roles of iron and iron-related proteins in MSC physiology. It describes the contribution of iron and endogenous iron-related effectors like hepcidin, ferroportin, transferrin receptor, lactoferrin, lipocalin-2, bone morphogenetic proteins and hypoxia inducible factors in MSC biology. It summarises the excess-iron-induced alterations in MSC components, processes and discusses signalling pathways involving ROS, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, p53, AMPK/MFF/DRP1 and Wnt. Additionally, it evaluates the endogenous and exogenous saviours of MSCs against iron-toxicity. Lastly, it elaborates on the involvement of MSCs in the pathology of clinical conditions of iron-excess, namely, hereditary hemochromatosis, diabetes, β-thalassaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. This unique review integrates the distinct fields of iron regulation and MSC physiology. Through an iron-perspective, it describes both mechanistic and clinical aspects of MSCs and proposes an iron-linked MSC-contribution to physiology, pathology and therapeutics. It advances the understanding of MSC biology and may aid in identifying signalling pathways, molecular targets and compounds for formulating adjunctive iron-based therapies for excess-iron conditions, and thereby inform regenerative medicine.

Ghahremani, Massoud Saidijam, Jafar Kiani, Naser Ahmadbeigi. Trends of Stem Cell-Based Clinical Trials in Gastrointestinal Tract Diseases

Stem cells have great potential to be applied as a treatment for various types of disorders. These cells exert therapeutic effects by modulating the immune system with the capability to secrete cytokines and chemokines. Previous studies have indicated that stem cells could be used as a therapeutic agent for different complaints, such as gastrointestinal diseases. For a long time now, researchers have moved toward stem cells' clinical application in this context. With the increasing number of trials in stem cell therapy of gastrointestinal disease, it is now time to evaluate these clinical trials' status. This paper reviews clinical trials that have used stem cells for the treatment of gastrointestinal tract diseases.

The role of mesenchymal stromal cells in immune modulation of COVID-19: focus on cytokine storm

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is quickly spreading all over the world. This virus, which is called SARS-CoV-2, has infected tens of thousands of people. Based on symptoms, the pathogenesis of acute respiratory illness is responsible for highly homogenous coronaviruses as well as other pathogens. Evidence suggests that high inflammation rates, oxidation, and overwhelming immune response probably contribute to pathology of COVID-19. COVID-19 causes cytokine storm, which subsequently leads to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), often ending up in the death of patients. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotential stem cells that are recognized via self-renewal capacity, generation of clonal populations, and multilineage differentiation. MSCs are present in nearly all tissues of the body, playing an essential role in repair and generation of tissues. Furthermore, MSCs have broad immunoregulatory properties through the interaction of immune cells in both innate and adaptive immune systems, leading to immunosuppression of many effector activities. MSCs can reduce the cytokine storm produced by coronavirus infection. In a number of studies, the administration of these cells has been beneficial for COVID-19 patients. Also, MSCs may be able to improve pulmonary fibrosis and lung function. In this review, we will review the newest research findings regarding MSC-based immunomodulation in patients with COVID-19.

Melatonin and Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Key for Functional Integrity for Liver Cancer Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common hepatobiliary malignancy with limited therapeutic options. On the other hand, melatonin is an indoleamine that modulates a variety of potential therapeutic effects. In addition to its important role in the regulation of sleep–wake rhythms, several previous studies linked the biologic effects of melatonin to various substantial endocrine, neural, immune and antioxidant functions, among others. Furthermore, the effects of melatonin could be influenced through receptor dependent and receptor independent manner. Among the other numerous physiological and therapeutic effects of melatonin, controlling the survival and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been recently discussed. Given its controversial interaction, several previous reports revealed the therapeutic potential of MSCs in controlling the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Taken together, the intention of the present review is to highlight the effects of melatonin and mesenchymal stem cells as a key for functional integrity for liver cancer treatment. We hope to provide solid piece of information that may be helpful in designing novel drug targets to control HCC.