CCL21/CCR7 prevents apoptosis via the ERK pathway in human non-small cell lung cancer cells

Evaluation the cytotoxic effect of Fe3O4@Glu-Gingerol on lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549) with biological mechanisms

The use of nanotechnology products with supermagnetic properties for targeted delivery of drugs has gained attention recently. Due to the anticancer features of Gingerol, the major phenolic compound from Ginger, this study aims to prepare Fe3O4@Glucose-Gingerol nanoparticles (NPs) and investigate their anticancer potential in a lung adenocarcinoma cell line. The physical and chemical features of the nanoparticles were investigated by FT-IR, XRD, zeta potential, DLS, EDS mapping, VSM, and electron microscope imaging. Cytotoxic effects of the nanoparticles for the A549 (lung adenocarcinoma) and MRC-5 (normal) cell lines was investigated by MTT assay. Furthermore, the effects of Fe3O4@Glucose-Gingerol nanoparticles on the expression of the CASP8, BAX, and BCL2 genes and the activity of Caspase 3 were characterized. The flow cytometry assay (annexin V/PI) was employed to find out the percentage of apoptotic cells. The Fe3O4@Glu-Gingerol NPs were spherical (42-67 nm), without elemental impurity, and with surface charge, DLS size, and magnetic saturation of -47.7 mV, 154 nm, and 35 emu/g, respectively. Fe3O4@Glu-Gingerol NPs showed a remarkable greater toxicity in the A549 cells than normal cell line with the 50 % inhibition concentration (IC50) of 190 and 554 μg/mL, respectively. Treatment of lung adenocarcinoma cells with the Fe3O4@Glu-Gingerol NPs led to an increase in cell apoptosis from 4.6 to 39.48 %. Also, the CASP8 and BAX genes were upregulated by 2.49 and 2.8 folds, respectively, while a downregulation by 0.75 folds was noticed for the BCL2. Moreover, apoptotic features were observed in Fe3O4@Glu-Gingerol NPs treated cells by Hoechst staining, and activation of Caspase 3 by 2.8 folds. This study revealed that the Fe3O4@Glu-Gingerol NPs have antiproliferative effects on the lung adenocarcinoma cell line by activation of intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis that is a promising feature in cancer treatment.

Antibacterial potential and cytotoxic activity of iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with thymol (Fe3O4@Glu-Thymol) on breast cancer cells and investigating the expression of BAX, CASP8, and BCL-2 genes

The use of metal nanoparticles (NPs) conjugated with natural herbal molecules in biomedical applications has been growing. In this work, we synthesized Iron oxide NPs conjugated with thymol (Fe3O4@Glu-Thymol) and investigated their antibacterial and anticancer potentials. Physicochemical features of the NPs were studied by FT-IR, EDS-mapping, XRD, DLS, zeta potential, and electron microscopy. The antibacterial activity of the NPs against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and anticancer activity for breast cancer cells was investigated by broth microdilution and MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The expression of apoptosis signaling genes in breast cancer cells that were treated with the NPs was studied by qPCR assay. The NPs were spherical, in a size range of 40-66 nm, without impurities, and with zeta potential and hydrodynamic size of - 23 mV and 185 nm, respectively. Moreover, the FT-IR and XRD assays confirmed the proper synthesis of Fe3O4 and conjugation with thymol. The minimum inhibitory concentration of the NPs for P. aeruginosa strains was 64-128 µg/mL. Our results showed that Fe3O4@Glu-Thymol was considerably more toxic for breast cancer cells than normal human cells and the 50% inhibitory concentration were 90.4 and 322 µg/mL, respectively. Upon treating breast cancer cells with the NPs the frequency of cell apoptosis increased by 18.9%. Also, the expression of the BAX and CASP8 genes in NPs treated cells significantly increased by 1.75 and 2.25 folds, respectively while the BCL-2 gene remained almost constant. This study reveals that Fe3O4@Glu-Thymol has considerable potential to be used in biomedical fields.

Elevated expression of CXCL3 in colon cancer promotes malignant behaviors of tumor cells in an ERK-dependent manner

BACKGROUND

CXC chemokine ligand 3 (CXCL3) is a member of CXC-type chemokine family that is identified as a major regulator in immune and inflammation responses. Recently, numerous evidence indicated that CXCL3 is broadly expressed in various human tumor types, and it is also known to play a critical role in mediating tumor development and progression. However, the expression profile of CXCL3 and the exact molecular mechanism behind the role of CXCL3 in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) has not been fully elucidated.

METHODS

The expression and clinical significance of CXCL3 mRNA and protein in the tissues from COAD patients were estimated using bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry assays. The expression and roles of exogenous administration or overexpression of CXCL3 in HT-29 and SW480 COAD cells were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. Mechanically, CXCL3-induced malignant behaviors were elucidated using western blotting assay and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERk1/2) inhibitor PD98059.

RESULTS

The cancer genome atlas (TCGA)-COAD data analysis revealed that CXCL3 mRNA is highly expressed and has high clinical diagnostic accuracy in COAD. Increased expression of CXCL3 mRNA was associated with patient's clinical stage, race, gender, age, histological subtype, nodal mestastasis and tumor protein 53 (TP53) mutation status. Similarly, immunohistochemistry assay also exhibited that CXCL3 protein in COAD tissues was significantly up-regulated. Gene expression associated assay implied that CXC chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) and CXC chemokine ligand 2 (CXCL2) were markedly correlated with CXCL3 in COAD. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis revealed that cyclin B1 (CCNB1), mitotic arrest deficient 2 like 1 (MAD2L1), H2A family member Z (H2AFZ) and CXCL2 may be the important protein molecules involved in CXCL3-related tumor biology. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) analysis revealed that CXCL3 was mainly enriched in the cell cycle, DNA replication, NOD-like receptors, NOTCH and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) Signal pathways. In vitro, exogenous administration or overexpression of CXCL3 resulted in increased malignant behaviors of HT-29 and SW480 cells, and down-regulation of CXCL3 expression inhibited the malignant behaviors of these tumor cells. In addition, overexpression of CXCL3 affected the expression of genes related to extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, including ERK1/2, p-ERK, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and Cyclin D1. Finally, CXCL3-induced malignant behaviors in HT-29 and SW480 cells were obviously attenuated following treatment with ERK inhibitor PD98059.

CONCLUSION

CXCL3 is upregulated in COAD and plays a crucial role in the control of malignant behaviors of tumor cells, which indicated its involvement in the pathogenesis of COAD.

Aberrant frequency of TNFR2-expressing CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

TNFR2 is a surface marker of highly suppressive subset of CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in humans and mice. This study examined the TNFR2 expression by Tregs of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and healthy controls. The proliferation, migration, survival of TNFR2+ Tregs, and association with clinicopathological characteristics were assessed. The expression levels of selected cytokines were also determined. The results demonstrated that in both peripheral blood (PB) (10.45 ± 5.71%) and tumour microenvironment (TME) (54.38 ± 16.15%) of NPC patients, Tregs expressed TNFR2 at noticeably greater levels than conventional T cells (Tconvs) (3.91 ± 2.62%, p < 0.0001), akin to healthy controls. Expression of TNFR2 (1.06 ± 0.99%) was correlated better than CD25+ (0.40 ± 0.46%) and CD127-/low (1.00 ± 0.83% ) with FoxP3 expression in NPC PB (p = 0.0005). Though there was no significant association between TNFR2 expression with the functional capacity (proliferation, migration and survival) of Tregs (p > 0.05), the proportions of PB and TME TNFR2+ Tregs in NPC patients showed more proliferative, higher migration capacity, and better survival ability, as compared to those in healthy controls. Furthermore, TNFR2+ Tregs from NPC patients expressed significantly higher amounts of IL-6 (p = 0.0077), IL-10 (p = 0.0001), IFN-γ (p = 0.0105) and TNF-α (p < 0.0001) than those from healthy controls. Most significantly, TNFR2 expression in maximally suppressive Tregs population were linked to WHO Type III histological type, distant metastasis, progressive disease status, and poor prognosis for NPC patients. Hence, our research implies that TNFR2 expression by PB and TME Tregs may be a useful predictive indicator in NPC patients.

Targeting CCR7-PI3Kγ overcomes resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in ALK-rearranged lymphoma

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) show potent efficacy in several ALK-driven tumors, but the development of resistance limits their long-term clinical impact. Although resistance mechanisms have been studied extensively in ALK-driven non-small cell lung cancer, they are poorly understood in ALK-driven anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL). Here, we identify a survival pathway supported by the tumor microenvironment that activates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase γ (PI3K-γ) signaling through the C-C motif chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7). We found increased PI3K signaling in patients and ALCL cell lines resistant to ALK TKIs. PI3Kγ expression was predictive of a lack of response to ALK TKI in patients with ALCL. Expression of CCR7, PI3Kγ, and PI3Kδ were up-regulated during ALK or STAT3 inhibition or degradation and a constitutively active PI3Kγ isoform cooperated with oncogenic ALK to accelerate lymphomagenesis in mice. In a three-dimensional microfluidic chip, endothelial cells that produce the CCR7 ligands CCL19/CCL21 protected ALCL cells from apoptosis induced by crizotinib. The PI3Kγ/δ inhibitor duvelisib potentiated crizotinib activity against ALCL lines and patient-derived xenografts. Furthermore, genetic deletion of CCR7 blocked the central nervous system dissemination and perivascular growth of ALCL in mice treated with crizotinib. Thus, blockade of PI3Kγ or CCR7 signaling together with ALK TKI treatment reduces primary resistance and the survival of persister lymphoma cells in ALCL.

The Effect of 5-aza,2'-deoxyCytidine (5 AZA CdR or Decitabine) on Extrinsic, Intrinsic, and JAK/STAT Pathways in Neuroblastoma and Glioblastoma Cells Lines

Epigenetic changes such as histone deacetylation and DNA methylation play to regulate gene expression. DNA methylation plays a major role in cancer induction via transcriptional silencing of critical regulators such as tumor suppressor genes (TSGs). One approach to inhibit TSGs inactivation is to use chemical compounds, DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTIs). Previously, we investigated the effect of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5 AZA CdR or decitabine) on colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of 5 AZA CdR on extrinsic (DR4, DR5, FAS, FAS-L, and TRAIL genes), intrinsic [pro- (Bax, Bak, and Bim) and anti- (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1) apoptotic genes], and JAK/STAT (SOCS1, SOCS3, JAK1, JAK2, STAT3, STAT5A, and STAT5B genes) pathways in neuroblastoma (IMR-32, SK-N-AS, UKF-NB-2, UKF-NB-3, and UKF-NB-4) and glioblastoma (SF-767, SF-763, A-172, U-87 MG, and U-251 MG) cell lines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cells were cultured and treated with 5 AZA CdR. To determine cell viability, cell apoptosis, and the relative gene expression level, MTT assay, flow cytometry assay, and qRT-PCR were done respectively.

RESULTS

5 AZA CdR changed the expression level of the genes of the extrinsic, intrinsic, and JAK/STAT pathways by which induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell growth in neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cell lines.

CONCLUSION

5 AZA CdR can play its role through extrinsic, intrinsic, and JAK/STAT pathways to induce cell apoptosis.

Effect of 5'-Fluoro-2'-Deoxycytidine and Sodium Butyrate on the Gene Expression of the Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway, p21, p27, and p53 Genes Expression, Cell Viability, and Apoptosis in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines

Background

Epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in the regulation of gene expression and genetic information. DNA methyltransferases are a family of enzymes that methylate DNA at the promoter region of the gene which can significantly contribute to gene silencing and carcinogenesis. In addition, histone deacetylation leads to gene silencing and tumorigenesis. Our previous work indicated that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors can induce its apoptotic role through down-regulation of HDACs. This study aimed to investigate the effect of 5'-fluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (FdCyd) and sodium butyrate on the genes of intrinsic apoptotic pathway (BAX, BAK and APAF1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL), p21, p27, and p53 gene expression, cell viability, and apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma Hep3B, SMMC-7721, and HA22T/VGH cell lines.

Materials and Methods

The Hep3B, SMMC-7721, and HA22T/VGH cells were cultured and treated with FdCyd and sodium butyrate. To determine cell viability, cell apoptosis, and the relative gene expression level, MTT assay, flow cytometry assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were done, respectively.

Results

Both compounds induced significant cell growth inhibition and cell apoptosis significantly (P < 0.0001). Sodium butyrate up-regulated the BAX, BAK, APAF1, p21, p27, and p53 and down-regulated Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL significantly in all three cell lines. Similar results were observed in the Hep3B, and SMMC-7721 cell lines treated with FdCyd. It has no significant effect on p53 gene expression in HA22T/VGH. The expression of the other genes in this cell line was similar to other cell lines.

Conclusion

Both compounds induced their roles through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway to induce cell apoptosis.

Synthesize of Bi2O3/Gln-TSC nanoparticles and evaluation of their toxicity on prostate cancer cells and expression of CASP8, BAX, and Bcl-2 genes

Due to the high prevalence and considerable increase of prostate cancer, finding novel therapeutic compounds for the treatment of prostatic cancer has been the goal of many researches. In this study, we aimed to fabricate the Bismuth oxide (Bi₂O₃) NPs, functionalized with glutamine (Gln) and conjugated with Thiosemicarbazide (TSC). Then, the anticancer mechanism of the synthesized NPs was investigated using the cellular and molecular tests including MTT assay, Flow cytometry, Caspase-3 activity assay, Hoechst staining and Real Time PCR. The FT-IR and XRD assays confirmed the identity of the synthesized Bi₂O₃/Gln-TSC NPs. The size range of the synthesized spherical particles was 10-60 nm and the zeta potential was - 23.8 mV. The purity of the NPs was confirmed by EDX-mapping analysis. The Bi₂O₃/Gln-TSC was considerably more toxic for prostate cancer cells than normal human cells and the IC₅₀ was calculated 35.4 and 305 µg/mL, respectively. The exposure to the NPs significantly increased the frequency of apoptotic cells from 4.7 to 75.3%. Moreover, the expression of the CASP8, BAX, and Bcl-2 genes after exposure to the NPs increased by 2.8, 2.3, and 1.39 folds. Treating the cancer cells with Bi₂O₃/Gln-TSC increased the activity of the Caspase-3 protein and apoptotic morphological features were observed by Hoechst staining in the treated cells. This work showed that Bi₂O₃/Gln-TSC has considerable cytotoxicity for prostate cancer cells and could inducing both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis.

Effect of Sodium Butyrate and Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate on the Genes Expression of Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway on PA-TU-8902, CFPAC-1, and CAPAN-1 Human Pancreatic Cancer Cell Lines: Epi-drugs and Intrinsic Apoptotic Pathway in Pancreatic Cancer

Background: Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are novel anticancer agents that induce cell death and cycle arrest. Several studies reported that HDACIs induce apoptosis via two well-defined intrinsic/mitochondrial and death receptor pathways. In addition to HDACIs, DNA methyltransferase inhibitors effectively revert the promoter hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes and apoptosis induction. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of sodium butyrate and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on the genes expression of the intrinsic pathway (BAX, BAK, APAF1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL), p21, and p53 on PA-TU-8902, CFPAC-1, and CAPAN-1 human pancreatic cancer cell lines. Materials and Methods:The PA-TU-8902, CFPAC-1, and CAPAN-1 cells were treated with sodium butyrate and EGCG. To determine cell viability, cell apoptosis, and the relative gene expression level, the 3-(4,4-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, and real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were done, respectively. Results: Both compounds changed the expression levels of the mentioned genes in a p53-dependent and -independent manner, which induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell growth in all three cell lines. Conclusion: We indicated that sodium butyrate and EGCG could induce apoptosis in human pancreatic cancer cell lines.[GMJ.2022;11:e2248].

C-C Chemokine Receptor 7 in Cancer

C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) was one of the first two chemokine receptors that were found to be upregulated in breast cancers. Chemokine receptors promote chemotaxis of cells and tissue organization. Since under homeostatic conditions, CCR7 promotes migration of immune cells to lymph nodes, questions immediately arose regarding the ability of CCR7 to direct migration of cancer cells to lymph nodes. The literature since 2000 was examined to determine to what extent the expression of CCR7 in malignant tumors promoted migration to the lymph nodes. The data indicated that in different cancers, CCR7 plays distinct roles in directing cells to lymph nodes, the skin or to the central nervous system. In certain tumors, it may even serve a protective role. Future studies should focus on defining mechanisms that differentially regulate the unfavorable or beneficial role that CCR7 plays in cancer pathophysiology, to be able to improve outcomes in patients who harbor CCR7-positive cancers.

The Significance of the Alter miR let-7a and miR-335 Expression Level Regulating the CCR7/CCL19 Axis as Potential Biomarkers of Tumor Progression in NSCLC

The chemokine receptor 7/C-C ligand 19 chemokine (CCR7/CCL19) has been implicated in the development and progression of NSCLC. Its expression is regulated by various epigenetic factors including miRNAs. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of CCR7/CCL19 in cancer tissue in relation to that of miRNAs (miR-let-7a, miR-335) as transcriptional regulators. The expression of the tested miRNAs was also evaluated in serum exosomes. Sixty patients (n = 60) were enrolled in the study. The total expression of the studied mRNA and miRNAs were evaluated using qPCR. Tumor tissue fragments, macroscopically unchanged adjacent tissue, and serum were used as controls. Higher CCR7 and CCL19 mRNA expression levels were observed in tumor tissue compared to control. According to stages of the disease (AJCC tumor staging), the greatest expression level of the studied genes' mRNA was observed in patients with stage III. In NSCLC patients, lower miR let-7a expression level was observed in tumor tissue compared to serum; however, miR-335 expression level was higher (p < 0.05). The expression level of miR-335 positively correlated with tumor size (T features according to pTNM staging) and AJCC tumor staging, while miR let-7a had a negative correlation (p > 0.05) with liquid biopsy. Significantly greater miR-335 expression level and lower miR let-7a expression level in serum were observed in patients with metastases to lymph nodes. Our findings reveal a significant correlation between the expression levels of the mRNA of the studied genes and miRNAs. Changes in miR-335 and miR let-7a expression levels in the serum exosomes of NSCLC patients in relation to lymph node metastases and tumor stage may serve as a non-invasive molecular biomarker of tumor progression.

Modulation of the chemokine/chemokine receptor axis as a novel approach for glioma therapy

Chemokines are a large subfamily of cytokines known for their ability to facilitate cell migration, most notably leukocytes, throughout the body. Chemokines are necessary for a functioning immune system in both health and disease and have received considerable attention for their roles in orchestrating temporal-spatial regulation of immune cell populations in cancer. Gliomas comprise a group of common central nervous system (CNS) primary tumors that are extremely challenging to treat. Immunotherapy approaches for highly malignant brain tumors offer an exciting new avenue for therapeutic intervention but so far, have seen limited successful clinical outcomes. Herein we focus on important chemokine/chemokine receptor systems in the regulation of pro- and anti-tumor mechanisms, highlighting potential therapeutic advantages of modulating these systems in malignant gliomas and other cancers.

Effect of Zebularine in Comparison to Trichostatin A on the Intrinsic and Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway, Cell Viability, and Apoptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma SK-Hep 1, Human Colorectal Cancer SW620, and Human Pancreatic Cancer PaCa-44 Cell Lines

Aberrant histone modifications or promoter region hypermethylation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) have been recognized as the important epigenetic molecular mechanism in cancer induction. The potential anticancer activities of histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) and DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTIs) have been investigated in recent years. The current study was assigned to investigate the effect of trichostatin A (HDACI) in comparison to zebularine (DNMTI) on the intrinsic pro-apoptotic (Bax, Bim, and Bak) and anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bcl-xL) genes and extrinsic (DR4, DR5, FAS, FAS-L, and TRAIL genes) pathways, DNA methyltransferase 1, 3a, and 3b, histone deacetylase inhibitors 1, 2, and 3, cell viability, and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) SK-Hep 1, colorectal cancer SW620, and pancreatic cancer PaCa-44 cell lines. The SK-Hep 1, SW620, and PaCa-44 cells were cultured and treated with TSA and zebularine. To determine cell apoptosis, cell viability, and the relative gene expression level, flow cytometry assay, MTT assay, and qRT-PCR were done respectively. The result indicated that zebularine and TSA changed the expression level of the Bax, Bak, Bim Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, DR4, DR5, FAS, FAS-L, TRAIL, DNA methyltransferase 1, 3a, and 3b, histone deacetylase inhibitors 1, 2, and 3 by which induced cell apoptosis and inhibit cell growth in all three cell lines. Concluding, TSA induced its role through both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways in three cell lines, whereas, zebularine played its role via both pathways in the SK-Hep 1cell line, it had no significant effect on Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1 gene expression in SW620 and PaCa-44 cell lines.

Effects of trichostatin A on the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathway, cell viability, and apoptosis induction in hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

AIM

The current study investigated the effect of trichostatin A (TSA) on mitochondrial/intrinsic [pro- (Bax, Bak, and Bim) and anti- (Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1) apoptotic genes] and cytoplasmic/extrinsic (DR4, DR5, FAS, FAS-L, and TRAIL genes) pathways, histone deacetylase 1, 2, and 3, p53, p73, cell viability, and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) HCCLM3, MHCC97H, and MHCC97L cell lines.

BACKGROUND

Modulation of the acetylation status of histones, histones modification, plays an important role in regulating gene transcription and expression. Histone deacetylation controlled by histone deacetylases (HDACs) leads to gene downregulation. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) are an emerging class of therapeutics with potential anticancer effects. They can induce apoptosis by activating both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways.

METHODS

HCCLM3, MHCC97H, and MHCC97L cells were cultured and treated with TSA. To determine viability, apoptosis, and the relative expression level of the mentioned genes, MTT assay, cell apoptosis assay, and qRT-PCR, respectively, were conducted.

RESULTS

TSA up-regulated Bax, Bak, Bim, DR4, DR5, FAS, FAS-L, TRAIL, p53, and p73 and down-regulated Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, Mcl-1, histone deacetylases 1, 2, and 3 significantly, resulting in apoptosis induction. Maximal and minimal apoptosis was seen in the MHCC97H and HCCLM3 cell lines (93.94% and 39.68%, respectively) after 24 and 48 h. Therefore, the MHCC97H cell line was more sensitive to TSA.

CONCLUSION

The current findings demonstrated that the HDAC inhibitor TSA can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell growth through both mitochondrial/intrinsic and cytoplasmic/extrinsic apoptotic pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma HCCLM3, MHCC97H, and MHCC97L cell lines.

CircRNA8220 Sponges MiR-8516 to Regulate Cell Viability and Milk Synthesis via Ras/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathways in Goat Mammary Epithelial Cells

Simple Summary

Yield and quality of goat milk are important indexes for screening dairy goat breeds. Therefore, it is necessary for us to improve the yield and quality of goat milk. In this study, we demonstrated that circRNA8220/miR-8516/STC2 could promote the synthesis of β-casein and triglyceride through PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In addition, we found that circRNA8220/miR-8516/STC2 also promote proliferation via Ras/MEK/ERK pathway in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs). These findings contribute to a better understanding of circRNA-controlled breast development and lactation mechanisms and provide new potential insights into the regulation of breast development and milk composition in dairy goats.

Abstract

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are considered a large class of endogenous noncoding RNAs, function as regulators in various biological procedures. In this study, the function and molecular mechanisms of circRNA8220 in goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) were explored. CircRNA8220 could spong miR-8516 and block the function of miR-8516 by binding to the target site of miR-8516 a negative feedback relationship existed between circRNA8220 and miR-8516. Stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) was a target gene of miR-8516. circRNA8220 could up-regulate the expression of STC2 by sponging miR-8516 in GMECs. circRNA8220/miR-8516/STC2 could promote proliferation and enhance the synthesis of β-casein and triglycerides (TG) via Ras/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, respectively.

Role of CC Chemokines Subfamily in the Platinum Drugs Resistance Promotion in Cancer

Cancer is a significant medical issue, being one of the main causes of mortality around the world. The therapies for this pathology depend on the stage in which the cancer is found, but it is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage in which the treatment is chemotherapy. Platinum drugs are among the most commonly used in therapy, unfortunately, one of the main obstacles to this treatment is the development of chemoresistance, which is the ability of cancer cells to evade the effects of drugs. Although some molecular mechanisms involved in resistance to platinum drugs are described, elucidation is still required of others. Secretion of inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines, by tumor microenvironment components or tumor cells, show direct influence on proliferation, metastasis and progression of cancer and are related to chemoresistance and poor prognosis. In this review, the general mechanisms associated with resistance to platinum drugs, inflammation on cancer development and chemoresistance in various types of cancer will be approached with special emphasis on the current history of CC chemokines subfamily-mediated chemoresistance.

Identification and Analysis of Dysfunctional Genes and Pathways in CD8+ T Cells of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Based on RNA Sequencing

Lung cancer, the most common of malignant tumors, is typically of the non-small cell (NSCLC) type. T-cell-based immunotherapies are a promising and powerful approach to treating NSCLCs. To characterize the CD8⁺ T cells of non-small cell lung cancer, we re-analyzed the published RNA-Seq gene expression profiles of 36 CD8⁺ T cell isolated from tumor (TIL) samples and 32 adjacent uninvolved lung (NTIL) samples. With an advanced Monte Carlo method of feature selection, we identified the CD8⁺ TIL specific expression patterns. These patterns revealed the key dysfunctional genes and pathways in CD8⁺ TIL and shed light on the molecular mechanisms of immunity and use of immunotherapy.

Chemokines and their Receptors: Multifaceted Roles in Cancer Progression and Potential Value as Cancer Prognostic Markers

Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that mediate immune cell chemotaxis and lymphoid tissue development. Recent advances have indicated that chemokines and their cognate receptors play critical roles in cancer-related inflammation and cancer progression. On the basis of these findings, the chemokine system has become a new potential drug target for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the essential roles of the complex network of chemokines and their receptors in cancer progression. Furthermore, we discuss the potential value of the chemokine system as a cancer prognostic marker. The chemokine system regulates the infiltration of immune cells into the tumor microenvironment, which induces both pro- and anti-immunity and promotes or suppresses tumor growth and proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Increasing evidence indicates the promising prognostic value of the chemokine system in cancer patients. While CCL2, CXCL10, and CX3CL1/CX3CR1 can serve as favorable or unfavorable prognostic factors depending on the cancer types, CCL14 and XCL1 possess good prognostic value. Other chemokines such as CXCL1, CXCL8, and CXCL12 are poor prognostic markers. Despite vast advances in our understanding of the complex nature of the chemokine system in tumor biology, knowledge about the multifaceted roles of the chemokine system in different types of cancers is still limited. Further studies are necessary to decipher distinct roles within the chemokine system in terms of cancer progression and to validate their potential value in cancer prognosis.

The Role of the BCL-2 Family of Proteins in HIV-1 Pathogenesis and Persistence

Advances in HIV-1 therapy have transformed the once fatal infection into a manageable, chronic condition, yet the search for a widely applicable approach to cure remains elusive. The ineffectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in reducing the size of the HIV-1 latent reservoir has prompted investigation into the mechanisms of HIV-1 latency and immune escape. One of the major regulators of apoptosis, the BCL-2 protein, alongside its homologous family members, is a major target of HIV-1-induced change. Recent studies have now demonstrated the association of this protein with cells that support proviral forms in the setting of latency and have helped identify BCL-2 as a novel and promising therapeutic target for HIV-1 therapy directed at possible cure. This review aims to systematically review the interactions of HIV-1 with BCL-2 and its homologs and to examine the possibility of using BCL-2 inhibitors in the study and elimination of the latent reservoir.

Meta-analysis of the prognostic value of C-C chemokine receptor type 7 in patients with solid tumors

Background

Expression of C-C chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7) is associated with the prognosis of several cancers. The aim of this study was to conduct the meta-analysis to determine the prognostic value of CCR7 expression in solid tumors.

Materials and methods

We searched for relevant literature in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases (last updated on January 15, 2018). The associations of CCR7 expression with overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), progress-free survival (PFS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were estimated.

Results

In total, 30 qualified studies including 3,413 patients were enrolled. The results revealed that higher expression of CCR7 predicted poorer OS (pooled HR =1.79; 95% CI =1.49–2.16; P<0.001) and PFS (pooled HR =2.18; 95% CI =1.49–3.18; P<0.001), but was not associated with DFS (pooled HR =1.69; 95% CI =0.79–3.61; P=0.175), RFS (pooled HR =1.29; 95% CI =0.48–3.44; P=0.618), or DSS (pooled HR =3.06; 95% CI =0.38–24.83; P<0.294).

Conclusion

From this meta-analysis, we concluded that high expression of CCR7 in tumor tissue is associated with poor survival in patients with solid tumors, and may be a prognostic biomarker for tumor progression.

Higher CXCL16 exodomain is associated with aggressive ovarian cancer and promotes the disease by CXCR6 activation and MMP modulation

Ovarian cancer (OvCa) is the leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies. Five-year survival rate of OvCa ranges from 30–92%, depending on the spread of disease at diagnosis. Role of chemokines is well appreciated in cancer, including OvCa. However, their precise role is understudied. Here, we show clinical and biological significance of CXCR6-CXCL16 and ADAM10 in OvCa. Expression of CXCR6 and N-terminal CXCL16 was significantly higher in serous carcinoma tissues compared to endometrioid. OvCa cells (SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3) also showed higher expression of CXCR6 than normal ovarian epithelial cells (IOSE-7576) while CXCL16 was higher in SKOV-3 than IOSE-7576. Furthermore, N-terminal CXCL16 was higher in conditioned media of OvCa cells than IOSE-7576. Compared to OVCAR-3, SKOV-3 cells, which had higher CXCL16, expressed significantly higher transcripts of ADAM10, a protease that cleaves CXCL16. OVCAR-3 cells showed higher CXCR6 specific migration whereas SKOV-3 cells showed more invasion. Difference in invasive potential of these cells was due to modulation of different MMPs after CXCL16 stimulation. Higher CXCR6 expression in serous papillary carcinoma tissues suggests its association with aggressive OvCa. Increased migration-invasion towards CXCL16 implies its role in metastatic spread. Therefore, CXCR6-CXCL16 axis could be used to differentiate between aggressive versus non-aggressive disease and as a target for better prognosis.

Promotion of tumor progression and cancer stemness by MUC15 in thyroid cancer via the GPCR/ERK and integrin-FAK signaling pathways

Thyroid cancer is the fifth most common cancer diagnosed in women worldwide. Notwithstanding advancements in the prognosis and treatment of thyroid cancer, 10–20% of thyroid cancer patients develops chemotherapeutic resistance and experience relapse. According to previous reports and TCGA database, MUC15 (MUCIN 15) upregulation is highly correlated with thyroid cancer progression. However, the role of MUC15 in tumor progression and metastasis is unclear. This study aimed to investigate factors mediating cancer stemness in thyroid cancer. MUC15 plays an important role in sphere formation, as an evident from the expression of stemness markers including SOX2, KLF4, ALDH1A3, and IL6. Furthermore, ectopic expression of MUC15 activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling via G-protein–coupled receptor (GPCR)/cyclic AMP (cAMP) and integrin/focal adhesion kinase pathways. Interestingly, ectopic expression of MUC15 did not affect RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)-mediated ERK activation. The present findings may provide novel insights into the development of diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications of MUC15 in thyroid cancer.

Matrine induces apoptosis via targeting CCR7 and enhances the effect of anticancer drugs in non-small cell lung cancer in vitro

This study mainly investigated the effects of matrine on cell apoptosis and the effects of anticancer drugs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines (A549 and LK2 cells). The results showed that matrine (≥10 μM) caused a significant inhibition on cell viability and 10 and 100 μM matrine induced cell apoptosis via influencing p53, bax, casp3, and bcl-2 expressions in A549 cells. In addition, matrine significantly down-regulated C-C chemokine receptor type 7 (CCR7) expression, and blocking the down-regulation of CCR7 by exogenous chemokine ligand 21 (CCL21) treatment alleviated matrine-caused effects of apoptosis genes in A549 cells. The results were further validated in LK2 cells that matrine regulated apoptosis gene expressions, which were reversed by CCL21 treatment. Furthermore, matrine enhances the effects of cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil, and paclitaxel in A549 cells, and the anticancer effects exhibit a dosage-dependent manner. In summary, matrine induced cell apoptosis and enhanced the effects of anticancer drugs in NSCLC cells; the mechanism might be associated with the CCR7 signal.

PCPA protects against monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial remodeling in rats: potential roles of connective tissue growth factor

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and determine whether 4-chloro-DL-phenylalanine (PCPA) could inhibit pulmonary arterial remodeling associated with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expression and downstream signal pathway. MCT was administered to forty Sprague Dawley rats to establish the PAH model. PCPA was administered at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg once daily for 3 weeks via intraperitoneal injection. On day 22, the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVI) and pulmonary artery morphology were assessed and the serotonin receptor-1B (SR-1B), CTGF, p-ERK/ERK were measured by western blot or immunohistochemistry. The concentration of serotonin in plasma was checked by ELISA. Apoptosis and apoptosis-related indexes were detected by TUNEL and western blot. In the MCT-induced PAH models, the PAP, RVI, pulmonary vascular remodeling, SR-1B index, CTGF index, anti-apoptotic factors bcl-xl and bcl-2, serotonin concentration in plasma were all increased and the pro-apoptotic factor caspase-3 was reduced. PCPA significantly ameliorated pulmonary arterial remodeling induced by MCT, and this action was associated with accelerated apoptosis and down-regulation of CTGF, SR-1B and p-ERK/ERK. The present study suggests that PCPA protects against the pathogenesis of PAH by suppressing remodeling and inducing apoptosis, which are likely associated with CTGF and downstream ERK signaling pathway in rats.

CX3CL1: a potential chemokine widely involved in the process spinal metastases

Objectives

The aim of our study was to investigate the general mechanism of spinal metastases from five different primary cancers: lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, and kidney cancer.

Results

From microarray analysis and validation by real-time polymerase chain reaction, CX3C chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) appeared to be a potential chemokine widely involved in the process of spinal metastases. Further studies revealed that, compared with normal controls, serum samples from patients with spinal metastases from the lung (P < 0.01), kidney (P < 0.05) and prostate (P < 0.05) contained significantly higher levels of CX3CL1, whereas those from patients with spinal metastases from the liver and breast had a tendency to contain higher levels of CX3CL1 but without significance. Immunohistochemical staining for the expression of CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1), the receptor for CX3CL1, in all spinal metastases samples showed negative staining.

Materials and Methods

Cancellous bone in the spine from patients with and without spinal metastases was collected for mRNA microarray study, and then differentially expressed mRNAs related to chemokines were further confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum level of the selected chemokines and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression level of corresponding receptors in tumor.

Conclusions

Our present study showed that CX3CL1 is associated with the process of spinal metastases from different primary cancers.

Matrine alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress via CCR7 signal

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of matrine on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and oxidative stress in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that matrine improved intestinal inflammatory status and oxidative balance and enhanced chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) expression. In LPS-challenged mice and Caco-2 cells, matrine alleviated LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress via downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and IL-17) and malondialdehyde (MDA) production. CCR7-siRNA transfection blocked the protective effects of matrine on LPS-induced inflammation and oxidative stress and exacerbated LPS caused injury. In conclusion, matrine alleviates LPS-induced intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress in mice and Caco-2 cells, which may be associated with CCR7 signal.

Role of Chemokines in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Angiogenesis and Inflammation

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of aggressive cancer. The tumor tissue, which shows an active angiogenesis, is composed of neoplastic and stromal cells, and an abundant inflammatory infiltrate. Angiogenesis is important to support tumor growth, while infiltrating cells contribute to the tumor microenvironment through the secretion of growth factors, cytokines and chemokines, important molecules in the progression of the disease. Chemokines are important in development, activation of the immune response, and physiological angiogenesis. Chemokines have emerged as important regulators in the pathophysiology of cancer. These molecules are involved in the angiogenesis/angiostasis balance and in the recruitment of tumor infiltrating hematopoietic cells. In addition, chemokines promote tumor cell survival, as well as the directing and establishment of tumor cells to metastasis sites. The findings summarized here emphasize the central role of chemokines as modulators of tumor angiogenesis and their potential role as therapeutic targets in the inflammatory process of NSCLC angiogenesis.

CCL21/CCR7 enhances the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human bladder cancer T24 cells

Objective

To investigate the effects of CCL21/CCR7 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of T24 cells and the possible associated mechanisms: expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and regulation of BCL-2 and BAX proteins.

Methods

T24 cells received corresponding treatments including vehicle control, antibody (20ng/mL CCR7 antibody and 50 ng/ml CCL21), and 50, 100, and 200 ng/ml CCL21. Proliferation was evaluated by MTT assay; cell migration and invasion were assayed using a transwell chamber. Cell apoptosis was induced by Adriamycin (ADM). The rate of cell apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry using annexin V-FITC/PI staining. Western-blot was used to analyze MMP-2 and MMP-9 and BCL-2 and BAX proteins.

Results

CCL21 promoted T24 cell proliferation in concentration-dependent manner with that 200 ng/mL induced the largest amount of proliferation. Significant differences of cell migration were found between CCL21treatment groups and the control group in both the migration and invasion studies (P < 0.001 for all). The expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins were significantly increased after CCL21 treatment (p < 0.05 for all). Protein expression of Bcl-21 follows an ascending trend while the expression of Bax follows a descending trend as the concentration of CCL21 increases. No difference was found between the control group and antibody group for all assessments.

Conclusion

CCL21/CCR7 promoted T24 cell proliferation and enhanced its migration and invasion via the increased expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. CCL21/CCR7 had antiapoptotic activities on T24 cells via regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins. CCL21/CCR7 may promote bladder cancer development and metastasis.

The role of CCL21/CCR7 chemokine axis in breast cancer-induced lymphangiogenesis

Background

Tumor-induced lymphangiogenesis facilitates breast cancer progression by generating new lymphatic vessels that serve as conduits for tumor dissemination to lymph nodes and beyond. Given the recent evidence suggesting the implication of C-C chemokine ligand 21/chemokine receptor 7 (CCL21/CCR7) in lymph node metastasis, the aim of our study was to define the role of this chemokine pair in breast cancer-associated lymphangiogenesis.

Methods

The expression analysis of CCL21/CCR7 pair and lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) markers in breast cancer specimens was performed by means of quantitative real-time PCR. By utilizing CCR7 and CCL21 gene manipulated breast cancer cell implants into orthotopic sites of nude mice, lymphatic vessel formation was assessed through quantitative real-time PCR, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence assays. Finally, the lymphangiogenic potential of CCL21/CCR7 was assessed in vitro with primary LECs through separate functional assays, each attempting to mimic different stages of the lymphangiogenic process.

Results

We found that CCR7 mRNA expression in human breast cancer tissues positively correlates with the expression of lymphatic endothelial markers LYVE-1, podoplanin, Prox-1, and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C). We demonstrated that the expression of CCL21/CCR7 by breast cancer cells has the ability to promote tumor-induced lymph-vascular recruitment in vivo. In vitro, CCL21/CCR7 chemokine axis regulates the expression and secretion of lymphangiogenic factor VEGF-C and thereby promotes proliferation, migration, as well as tube formation of the primary human LECs. Finally, we showed that protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway is the intracellular mechanism of CCR7-mediated VEGF-C secretion by human breast cancer cells.

Conclusions

These results reveal that CCR7 and VEGF-C display a significant crosstalk and suggest a novel role of the CCL21/CCR7 chemokine axis in the promotion of breast cancer-induced lymphangiogenesis.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12943-015-0306-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The role of chemoattractant receptors in shaping the tumor microenvironment

Chemoattractant receptors are a family of seven transmembrane G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) initially found to mediate the chemotaxis and activation of immune cells. During the past decades, the functions of these GPCRs have been discovered to not only regulate leukocyte trafficking and promote immune responses, but also play important roles in homeostasis, development, angiogenesis, and tumor progression. Accumulating evidence indicates that chemoattractant GPCRs and their ligands promote the progression of malignant tumors based on their capacity to orchestrate the infiltration of the tumor microenvironment by immune cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and mesenchymal cells. This facilitates the interaction of tumor cells with host cells, tumor cells with tumor cells, and host cells with host cells to provide a basis for the expansion of established tumors and development of distant metastasis. In addition, many malignant tumors of the nonhematopoietic origin express multiple chemoattractant GPCRs that increase the invasiveness and metastasis of tumor cells. Therefore, GPCRs and their ligands constitute targets for the development of novel antitumor therapeutics.

Inhibition of chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 7 sialylation suppresses CCL19-stimulated proliferation, invasion and anti-anoikis

Chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 7 (CCR7) is involved in lymph-node homing of naive and regulatory T cells and lymphatic metastasis of cancer cells. Sialic acids comprise a group of monosaccharide units that are added to the terminal position of the oligosaccharide chain of glycoproteins by sialyation. Recent studies suggest that aberrant sialylation of receptor proteins contributes to proliferation, motility, and drug resistance of cancer cells. In this study, we addressed whether CCR7 is a sialylated receptor protein and tried to elucidate the effect of sialylation in the regulation of signal transduction and biological function of CCR7. Our results demonstrated that α-2, 3-sialyltransferase which catalyze sialylation reaction in vivo was overexpressed in breast tumor tissues and cell lines. Lectin blot analysis clearly demonstrated that CCR7 receptor was sialyated in breast cancer cells. Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 19 (CCL19), the cognate ligand for CCR7, induced the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and AKT signaling and increased the expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins and proliferation of breast cancer cells. When cells were pre-treated with a sialyltransferase inhibitor AL10 or sialidase, CCL19-induced cell growth was significantly suppressed. CCL19 also increased invasion and prevented anoikis by up-regulating pro-survival proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Inhibition of sialylation by AL10 totally abolished these effects. Finally, we showed that AL10 inhibited tumorigenicity of breast cancer in experimental animals. Taken together, we demonstrate for the first time that CCR7 receptor is a sialylated protein and sialylation is important for the paracrine stimulation by its endogenous ligand CCL19. In addition, inhibition of aberrant sialylation of CCR7 suppresses proliferation and invasion and triggers anoikis in breast cancer cells. Targeting of sialylation enzymes may be a novel strategy for breast cancer treatment.

Fine mapping reveals that promotion susceptibility locus 1 (Psl1) is a compound locus with multiple genes that modify susceptibility to skin tumor development

Although it is well known that the majority of human cancers occur as the result of exposure to environmental carcinogens, it is clear that not all individuals exposed to a specific environmental carcinogen have the same risk of developing cancer. Considerable evidence indicates that common allelic variants of low-penetrance, tumor susceptibility genes are responsible for this interindividual variation in risk. We previously reported a skin tumor promotion susceptibility locus, Psl1, which maps to the distal portion of chromosome 9, that modified skin tumor promotion susceptibility in the mouse. Furthermore, Psl1 was shown to consist of at least two subloci (i.e., Psl1.1 and Psl1.2) and that glutathione S-transferase alpha 4 (Gsta4), which maps to Psl1.2, is a skin tumor promotion susceptibility gene. Finally, variants of human GSTA4 were found to be associated with risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer. In the current study, a combination of nested and contiguous C57BL/6 congenic mouse strains, each inheriting a different portion of the Psl1 locus from DBA/2, were tested for susceptibility to skin tumor promotion with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. These analyses indicate that Psl1 is a compound locus with at least six genes, including Gsta4, that modify skin tumor promotion susceptibility. More than 550 protein-coding genes map within the Psl1 locus. Fine mapping of the Psl1 locus, along with two-strain haplotype analysis, gene expression analysis, and the identification of genes with amino acid variants, has produced a list of fewer than 25 candidate skin tumor promotion susceptibility genes.

Anti-CCR7 therapy exerts a potent anti-tumor activity in a xenograft model of human mantle cell lymphoma

Background

The chemokine receptor CCR7 mediates lymphoid dissemination of many cancers, including lymphomas and epithelial carcinomas, thus representing an attractive therapeutic target. Previous results have highlighted the potential of the anti-CCR7 monoclonal antibodies to inhibit migration in transwell assays. The present study aimed to evaluate the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of an anti-CCR7 antibody in a xenografted human mantle cell lymphoma model.

Methods

NOD/SCID mice were either subcutaneously or intravenously inoculated with Granta-519 cells, a human cell line derived from a leukemic mantle cell lymphoma. The anti-CCR7 mAb treatment (3 × 200 μg) was started on day 2 or 7 to target lymphoma cells in either a peri-implantation or a post-implantation stage, respectively.

Results

The anti-CCR7 therapy significantly delayed the tumor appearance and also reduced the volumes of tumors in the subcutaneous model. Moreover, an increased number of apoptotic tumor cells was detected in mice treated with the anti-CCR7 mAb compared to the untreated animals. In addition, significantly reduced number of Granta-519 cells migrated from subcutaneous tumors to distant lymphoid organs, such as bone marrow and spleen in the anti-CCR7 treated mice. In the intravenous models, the anti-CCR7 mAb drastically increased survival of the mice. Accordingly, dissemination and infiltration of tumor cells in lymphoid and non-lymphoid organs, including lungs and central nervous system, was almost abrogated.

Conclusions

The anti-CCR7 mAb exerts a potent anti-tumor activity and might represent an interesting therapeutic alternative to conventional therapies.

CCR7 expression and intratumoral FOXP3+ regulatory T cells are correlated with overall survival and lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer

The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of chemokine receptor CCR7 expression and intratumoral FOXP3⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in gastric cancer. CCR7⁺ tumor cells and FOXP3⁺ Tregs were assessed by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarrays containing gastric cancer from 133 patients. Prognostic effects of low or high CCR7 and FOXP3 expression were evaluated by Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analysis, as well as the correlation between CCR7 positive score and intratumoral FOXP3⁺ cell number in a longitudinal assessment. The analysis showed that the high expression levels of CCR7 and FOXP3 were detected in 69.9% and 65.4% of cases, respectively. High CCR7 expression in gastric cancer cells was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) (P = 0.010) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.009), and was an independent factor for worse OS (P = 0.023) by multivariate analysis. High numbers of intratumoral FOXP3⁺ Tregs significantly correlated with shorter OS (P = 0.021) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.024), and was also an independent factor for adverse OS (P = 0.035). Furthermore, there was a significantly positive correlation between CCR7 positive score and intratumoral FOXP3⁺ cell number (r = 0.949, P<0.001). These results revealed that CCR7 expression in gastric cancer cells and intratumoral FOXP3⁺ Tregs could be considered as a co-indicator of clinical prognosis of gastric cancer.

Signalling mechanisms involved in renal pathological changes during cisplatin-induced nephropathy

CONTEXT

Cisplatin, a coordination platinum complex, is used as a potential anti-neoplastic agent, having well recognized DNA-damaging property that triggers cell-cycle arrest and cell death in cancer therapy. Beneficial chemotherapeutic actions of cisplatin can be detrimental for kidneys.

BACKGROUND

Unbound cisplatin gets accumulated in renal tubular cells, leading to cell injury and death. This liable action of cisplatin on kidneys is mediated by altered intracellular signalling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), extracellular regulated kinase (ERK), or C- Jun N terminal kinase/stress-activated protein kinase (JNK/SAPK). Further, these signalling alterations are responsible for release and activation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α), mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis, which ultimately cause the renal pathogenic process. Cisplatin itself enhances the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, which further leads to renal apoptosis. Cisplatin-induced nephropathy is also mediated through the p53 and protein kinase-Cδ (PKCδ) signalling pathways.

OBJECTIVE

This review explores these signalling alterations and their possible role in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-induced renal injury.

SHP1-mediated cell cycle redistribution inhibits radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Radioresistance is the common cause for radiotherapy failure in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and the degree of radiosensitivity of tumor cells is different during different cell cycle phases. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of cell cycle redistribution in the establishment of radioresistance in NSCLC, as well as the signaling pathway of SH2 containing Tyrosine Phosphatase (SHP1).

Methods

A NSCLC subtype cell line, radioresistant A549 (A549S1), was induced by high-dose hypofractionated ionizing radiations. Radiosensitivity-related parameters, cell cycle distribution and expression of cell cycle-related proteins and SHP1 were investigated. siRNA was designed to down-regulate SHP1expression.

Results

Compared with native A549 cells, the proportion of cells in the S phase was increased, and cells in the G0/G1 phase were consequently decreased, however, the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase did not change in A549S1 cells. Moreover, the expression of SHP1, CDK4 and CylinD1 were significantly increased, while p16 was significantly down-regulated in A549S1 cells compared with native A549 cells. Furthermore, inhibition of SHP1 by siRNA increased the radiosensitivity of A549S1 cells, induced a G0/G1 phase arrest, down-regulated CDK4 and CylinD1expressions, and up-regulated p16 expression.

Conclusions

SHP1 decreases the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells through affecting cell cycle distribution. This finding could unravel the molecular mechanism involved in NSCLC radioresistance.

Apoptosis induced by paclitaxel via Bcl-2, Bax and caspases 3 and 9 activation in NB4 human leukaemia cells is not modulated by ERK inhibition

We have studied the role of pivotal bio-molecules involved in signalling of cytotoxic effects induced by paclitaxel (Ptx) on acute promyelocytic human leukaemia NB4 cells. A time-dependent increase in cell death and DNA cleavage was observed after 30μM Ptx treatment. Cell death induction by Ptx proceeds mainly as programmed cell death as shown by annexin V-FITC, reaching up to 30% of apoptotic cells after 24h. Significant reductions of p53, changes in Bax and Bcl-2 and activation of caspases 3 and 9 were observed as the treatment was applied for long times. Ptx treatments produced NFkB depletion with expression levels abolished at 19h what could be involved in reduction of survival signals. Phosphorylation of intracellular kinases showed that pERK1/2 decreased significantly at 19h of Ptx treatment. When these cells were preincubated for 90min with 20μM PD98059, 2'-amino-3'-methoxyflavone, an inhibitor of ERK phosphorylation, a slight reduction of cell viability was observed in comparison to that produced by Ptx alone. Pretreatment with PD98059 neither activated caspases nor significantly increased the apoptotic effect of Ptx. Taken together, our data reveal that the inhibition of ERK phosphorylation does not seem to be an essential pathway for bursting an increased induction of apoptosis by Ptx. Decrease of p53 and Bcl-2, fragmentation of DNA, increase of Bax and, finally, activation of caspases 3 and 9 in NB4 leukaemia cells make the apoptotic process induced by Ptx irreversible. Application of Ptx in leukaemia cells shows therefore a promising potential with particular effects on different leukaemia cell types.

Bioinformatic analysis of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 21 and SPARC-like protein 1 revealing their associations with drug resistance in ovarian cancer

Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 21 (CCL21) and SPARC-like protein 1 (SPARCL1/MAST9/hevin/SC-1) are associated with various biological behavior in the development of cancers. Although the expression of CCL21 and SPARCL1 is downregulated in many solid tumors, their roles in ovarian cancer and their associations with drug resistance have rarely been studied. We performed a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis consisting of motif analysis, literature co-occurrence, gene/protein-gene/protein interaction network, protein-small molecule interaction network, and microRNAs enrichments which revealed that CCL21 and SPARCL1 directly or indirectly interact with a number of genes, proteins, small molecules and pathways associated with drug resistance in ovarian and other cancers. These results suggested that CCL21 and SPARCL1 may contribute to drug resistance in ovarian cancer. This study provided important information for further investigation of drug resistance-related functions of CCL21 and SPARCL1 in ovarian cancer.