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James K, Oluwole OG. Leveraging human-mouse studies to advance the genetics of hearing impairment in Africa. J Gene Med 2024; 26:e3714. [PMID: 38949079 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Mouse models are used extensively to understand human pathobiology and mechanistic functions of disease-associated loci. However, in this review, we investigate the potential of using genetic mouse models to identify genetic markers that can disrupt hearing thresholds in mice and then target the hearing-enriched orthologues and loci in humans. Currently, little is known about the real prevalence of genes that cause hearing impairment (HI) in Africa. Pre-screening mouse cell lines to identify orthologues of interest has the potential to improve the genetic diagnosis for HI in Africa to a significant percentage, for example, 10-20%. Furthermore, the functionality of a candidate gene derived from mouse screening with heterogeneous genetic backgrounds and multi-omic approaches can shed light on the molecular, genetic heterogeneity and plausible mode of inheritance of a gene in hearing-impaired individuals especially in the absence of large families to investigate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kili James
- Department of Pathology, Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Oluwafemi G Oluwole
- Department of Pathology, Division of Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Biomedical Research Centre, Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Emerging phagocytosis checkpoints in cancer immunotherapy. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:104. [PMID: 36882399 PMCID: PMC9990587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01365-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy, mainly including immune checkpoints-targeted therapy and the adoptive transfer of engineered immune cells, has revolutionized the oncology landscape as it utilizes patients' own immune systems in combating the cancer cells. Cancer cells escape immune surveillance by hijacking the corresponding inhibitory pathways via overexpressing checkpoint genes. Phagocytosis checkpoints, such as CD47, CD24, MHC-I, PD-L1, STC-1 and GD2, have emerged as essential checkpoints for cancer immunotherapy by functioning as "don't eat me" signals or interacting with "eat me" signals to suppress immune responses. Phagocytosis checkpoints link innate immunity and adaptive immunity in cancer immunotherapy. Genetic ablation of these phagocytosis checkpoints, as well as blockade of their signaling pathways, robustly augments phagocytosis and reduces tumor size. Among all phagocytosis checkpoints, CD47 is the most thoroughly studied and has emerged as a rising star among targets for cancer treatment. CD47-targeting antibodies and inhibitors have been investigated in various preclinical and clinical trials. However, anemia and thrombocytopenia appear to be formidable challenges since CD47 is ubiquitously expressed on erythrocytes. Here, we review the reported phagocytosis checkpoints by discussing their mechanisms and functions in cancer immunotherapy, highlight clinical progress in targeting these checkpoints and discuss challenges and potential solutions to smooth the way for combination immunotherapeutic strategies that involve both innate and adaptive immune responses.
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Pre- and peri-implantation Zika virus infection impairs fetal development by targeting trophectoderm cells. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4155. [PMID: 31519912 PMCID: PMC6744420 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12063-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection results in an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and poor intrauterine growth although the underlying mechanisms remain undetermined. Little is known about the impact of ZIKV infection during the earliest stages of pregnancy, at pre- and peri-implantation, because most current ZIKV pregnancy studies have focused on post-implantation stages. Here, we demonstrate that trophectoderm cells of pre-implantation human and mouse embryos can be infected with ZIKV, and propagate virus causing neural progenitor cell death. These findings are corroborated by the dose-dependent nature of ZIKV susceptibility of hESC-derived trophectoderm cells. Single blastocyst RNA-seq reveals key transcriptional changes upon ZIKV infection, including nervous system development, prior to commitment to the neural lineage. The pregnancy rate of mice is >50% lower in pre-implantation infection than infection at E4.5, demonstrating that pre-implantation ZIKV infection leads to miscarriage. Cumulatively, these data elucidate a previously unappreciated association of pre- and peri-implantation ZIKV infection and microcephaly.
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Zhou HP, Qian LX, Zhang N, Gu JJ, Ding K, Wu J, Lu ZW, Du MY, Zhu HM, Wu JZ, He X, Yin L. MIIP gene expression is associated with radiosensitivity in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Oncol Lett 2018; 15:9471-9479. [PMID: 29805670 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2018.8524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the radiosensitization effect of the migration and invasion inhibitory protein (MIIP) gene on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. The MIIP gene was transfected into NPC 5-8F and CNE2 cells. The level of MIIP was analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blot. The changes in radiosensitivity of the cells were analyzed by colony formation assay. The changes in cell apoptosis and cycle distribution following irradiation were detected by flow cytometry. The expression of BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator/B-cell lymphoma 2 was evaluated using western blot. DNA damage was analyzed by counting γ-H2AX foci. The expression levels of γ-H2AX were evaluated by immunofluorescence and western blot. In a previous study by the authors, the results indicated that the expression of MIIP gene evidently increased in MIIP-transfected 5-8F (5-8F OE) and MIIP-transfected CNE2 (CNE2 OE) cells compared with the parental or negative control cells. In the present study, the survival rate of 5-8F OE and CNE2 OE cells markedly decreased following irradiation (0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 Gy) compared with the negative control (5-8F NC and CNE2 NC) and the untreated (5-8F and CNE2) groups. The expression of MIIP was able to increase apoptosis, which resulted in G2/M cell cycle arrest and DNA damage repair was attenuated in 5-8F and CNE2 cells following irradiation as measured by the accumulation of γ-H2AX. It was indicated that MIIP expression is associated with the radiosensitivity of NPC cells and has a significant role in regulating cell radiosensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Ping Zhou
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, BenQ Medical Center, The Affiliated BenQ Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Lu-Xi Qian
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Jia Gu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Kai Ding
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Suqian First Hospital, Suqian, Jiangsu 223800, P.R. China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Wei Lu
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Yu Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Ming Zhu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Jian-Zhong Wu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular and Translational Cancer Research, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Xia He
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
| | - Li Yin
- The Fourth School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China.,Department of Radiation Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210000, P.R. China
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MIIP accelerates epidermal growth factor receptor protein turnover and attenuates proliferation in non-small cell lung cancer. Oncotarget 2016; 7:9118-34. [PMID: 26824318 PMCID: PMC4891030 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.7001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The migration and invasion inhibitory protein (MIIP) has been discovered recently to have inhibitory functions in cell proliferation and migration. Overexpression of MIIP reduced the intracellular steady-state level of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein in lung cancer cells with no effect on EGFR mRNA expression compared to that in the control cells. This MIIP-promoted EGFR protein degradation was reversed by proteasome and lysosome inhibitors, suggesting the involvement of both proteasomal and lysosomal pathways in this degradation. This finding was further validated by pulse-chase experiments using 35S-methionine metabolic labeling. We found that MIIP accelerates EGFR protein turnover via proteasomal degradation in the endoplasmic reticulum and then via the lysosomal pathway after its entry into endocytic trafficking. MIIP-stimulated downregulation of EGFR inhibits downstream activation of Ras and blocks the MEK signal transduction pathway, resulting in inhibition of cell proliferation. The negative correlation between MIIP and EGFR protein expression was validated in lung adenocarcinoma samples. Furthermore, the higher MIIP protein expression predicts a better overall survival of Stage IA-IIIA lung adenocarcinoma patients who underwent radical surgery. These findings reveal a new mechanism by which MIIP inhibits cell proliferation.
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Kersh AE, Sasaki M, Cooper LA, Kissick HT, Pollack BP. Understanding the Impact of ErbB Activating Events and Signal Transduction on Antigen Processing and Presentation: MHC Expression as a Model. Front Pharmacol 2016; 7:327. [PMID: 27729860 PMCID: PMC5052536 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in molecular pathology have changed the landscape of oncology. The ability to interrogate tissue samples for oncogene amplification, driver mutations, and other molecular alterations provides clinicians with an enormous level of detail about their patient's cancer. In some cases, this information informs treatment decisions, especially those related to targeted anti-cancer therapies. However, in terms of immune-based therapies, it is less clear how to use such information. Likewise, despite studies demonstrating the pivotal role of neoantigens in predicting responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade, it is not known if the expression of neoantigens impacts the response to targeted therapies despite a growing recognition of their diverse effects on immunity. To realize the promise of 'personalized medicine', it will be important to develop a more integrated understanding of the relationships between oncogenic events and processes governing anti-tumor immunity. One area of investigation to explore such relationships centers on defining how ErbB/HER activation and signal transduction influences antigen processing and presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Kersh
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | - Lee A Cooper
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Emory University School of MedicineAtlanta, GA, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Haydn T Kissick
- Department of Urology, Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian P Pollack
- Atlanta VA Medical CenterDecatur, GA, USA; Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of MedicineAtlanta, GA, USA
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