A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase-Control Elements in Infectious Diseases

Macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles for the treatment of infectious diseases

Infectious diseases severely threaten human health, and traditional treatment techniques face multiple limitations. As an important component of immune cells, macrophages display unique biological properties, such as biocompatibility, immunocompatibility, targeting specificity, and immunoregulatory activity, and play a critical role in protecting the body against infections. The macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles not only maintain the functions of the inner nanoparticles but also inherit the characteristics of macrophages, making them excellent tools for improving drug delivery and therapeutic implications in infectious diseases (IDs). In this review, we describe the characteristics and functions of macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles and their advantages and challenges in ID therapy. We first summarize the pathological features of IDs, providing insight into how to fight them. Next, we focus on the classification, characteristics, and preparation of macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles. Finally, we comprehensively describe the progress of macrophage membrane-coated nanoparticles in combating IDs, including drug delivery, inhibition and killing of pathogens, and immune modulation. At the end of this review, a look forward to the challenges of this aspect is presented.

The Biochemistry and Physiology of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinases (ADAMs and ADAM-TSs) in Human Pathologies

Metalloproteinases are a group of proteinases that plays a substantial role in extracellular matrix remodeling and its molecular signaling. Among these metalloproteinases, ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloproteinases) and ADAM-TSs (ADAMs with thrombospondin domains) have emerged as highly efficient contributors mediating proteolytic processing of various signaling molecules. ADAMs are transmembrane metalloenzymes that facilitate the extracellular domain shedding of membrane-anchored proteins, cytokines, growth factors, ligands, and their receptors and therefore modulate their biological functions. ADAM-TSs are secretory, and soluble extracellular proteinases that mediate the cleavage of non-fibrillar extracellular matrix proteins. ADAMs and ADAM-TSs possess pro-domain, metalloproteinase, disintegrin, and cysteine-rich domains in common, but ADAM-TSs have characteristic thrombospondin motifs instead of the transmembrane domain. Most ADAMs and ADAM-TSs are activated by cleavage of pro-domain via pro-protein convertases at their N-terminus, hence directing them to various signaling pathways. In this article, we are discussing not only the structure and regulation of ADAMs and ADAM-TSs, but also the importance of these metalloproteinases in various human pathophysiological conditions like cardiovascular diseases, colorectal cancer, autoinflammatory diseases (sepsis/rheumatoid arthritis), Alzheimer's disease, proliferative retinopathies, and infectious diseases. Therefore, based on the emerging role of ADAMs and ADAM-TSs in various human pathologies, as summarized in this review, these metalloproteases can be considered as critical therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Alters Critical Lung Epithelial Cell Functions through Activation of ADAM17

Severe epithelial dysfunction is one major hallmark throughout the pathophysiological progress of bacterial pneumonia. Junctional and cellular adhesion molecules (e.g., JAMA-A, ICAM-1), cytokines (e.g., TNFα), and growth factors (e.g., TGFα), controlling proper lung barrier function and leukocyte recruitment, are proteolytically cleaved and released into the extracellular space through a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) 17. In cell-based assays, we could show that the protein expression, maturation, and activation of ADAM17 is upregulated upon infection of lung epithelial cells with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Exotoxin A (ExoA), without any impact of infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae. The characterization of released extracellular vesicles/exosomes and the comparison to heat-inactivated bacteria revealed that this increase occurred in a cell-associated and toxin-dependent manner. Pharmacological targeting and gene silencing of ADAM17 showed that its activation during infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa was critical for the cleavage of junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) and epithelial cell survival, both modulating barrier integrity, epithelial regeneration, leukocyte adhesion and transepithelial migration. Thus, site-specific targeting of ADAM17 or blockage of the activating toxins may constitute a novel anti-infective therapeutic option in Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung infection preventing severe epithelial and organ dysfunctions and stimulating future translational studies.

Contribution of Puma to Inflammatory Resolution During Early Pneumococcal Pneumonia

Apoptosis of cells at the site of infection is a requirement for shutdown of inflammatory signaling, avoiding tissue damage, and preventing progression of sepsis. Puma^+/+ and Puma^-/- mice were challenged with TIGR4 strain pneumococcus and cytokines were quantitated from lungs and blood using a magnetic bead panel analysis. Puma^-/- mice exhibited higher lung and blood cytokine levels of several major inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, G-CSF, RANTES, IL-12, IFN-ϒ, and IP-10. Puma^-/- mice were more susceptible to bacterial dissemination and exhibited more weight loss than their wild-type counterparts. RNA sequencing analysis of whole pulmonary tissue revealed Puma-dependent regulation of Nrxn2, Adam19, and Eln. Enrichment of gene ontology groups differentially expressed in Puma^-/- tissues were strongly correlated to IFN-β and -ϒ signaling. Here, we demonstrate for the first time the role of Puma in prohibition of the cytokine storm during bacterial pneumonia. These findings further suggest a role for targeting immunomodulation of IFN signaling during pulmonary inflammation. Additionally, our findings suggest previously undemonstrated roles for genes encoding regulatory and binding proteins during the early phase of the innate immune response of pneumococcal pneumonia.

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on Host Factors Involved in Mental Disorders

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a systemic illness due to its multiorgan effects in patients. The disease has a detrimental impact on respiratory and cardiovascular systems. One early symptom of infection is anosmia or lack of smell; this implicates the involvement of the olfactory bulb in COVID-19 disease and provides a route into the central nervous system. However, little is known about how SARS-CoV-2 affects neurological or psychological symptoms. SARS-CoV-2 exploits host receptors that converge on pathways that impact psychological symptoms. This systemic review discusses the ways involved by coronavirus infection and their impact on mental health disorders. We begin by briefly introducing the history of coronaviruses, followed by an overview of the essential proteins to viral entry. Then, we discuss the downstream effects of viral entry on host proteins. Finally, we review the literature on host factors that are known to play critical roles in neuropsychiatric symptoms and mental diseases and discuss how COVID-19 could impact mental health globally. Our review details the host factors and pathways involved in the cellular mechanisms, such as systemic inflammation, that play a significant role in the development of neuropsychological symptoms stemming from COVID-19 infection.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa Triggered Exosomal Release of ADAM10 Mediates Proteolytic Cleavage in Trans

Pneumonia is a life-threatening disease often caused by infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Many of the mediators (e.g., TNF, IL-6R) and junction molecules (e.g., E-cadherin) orchestrating inflammatory cell recruitment and loss of barrier integrity are proteolytically cleaved through a disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs). We could show by Western blot, surface expression analysis and measurement of proteolytic activity in cell-based assays, that ADAM10 in epithelial cells is upregulated and activated upon infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Exotoxin A (ExoA), but not upon infection with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Targeting ADAM10 by pharmacological inhibition or gene silencing, we demonstrated that this activation was critical for cleavage of E-cadherin and modulated permeability and epithelial integrity. Stimulation with heat-inactivated bacteria revealed that the activation was based on the toxin repertoire rather than the interaction with the bacterial particle itself. Furthermore, calcium imaging experiments showed that the ExoA action was based on the induction of calcium influx. Investigating the extracellular vesicles and their proteolytic activity, we could show that Pseudomonas aeruginosa triggered exosomal release of ADAM10 and proteolytic cleavage in trans. This newly described mechanism could constitute an essential mechanism causing systemic inflammation in patients suffering from Pseudomonas aeruginosa-induced pneumonia stimulating future translational studies.

TREM2: Keeping Pace With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Cancer Immunotherapy

To date, immune checkpoint inhibitors have been successively approved and widely used in clinical cancer treatments, however, the overall response rates are very low and almost all cancer patients eventually progressed to drug resistance, this is mainly due to the intricate tumor microenvironment and immune escape mechanisms of cancer cells. One of the main key mechanisms leading to the evasion of immune attack is the presence of the immunosuppressive microenvironment within tumors. Recently, several studies illustrated that triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-2 (TREM2), a transmembrane receptor of the immunoglobulin superfamily, was a crucial pathology-induced immune signaling hub, and it played a vital negative role in antitumor immunity, such as inhibiting the proliferation of T cells. Here, we reviewed the recent advances in the study of TREM2, especially focused on its regulation of tumor-related immune signaling pathways and its role as a novel target in cancer immunotherapy.

Simultaneous detection of multiple proteases using a non-array nanopore platform

Multiplexing methods which are capable of measurement of multiple analytes in a single assay are of great importance in many fields. The conventional strategy for simultaneous detection of multiple species is to construct a sensor array. Herein, we report an innovative multiplex multi-analyte detection platform in a non-array format for protease measurement. By monitoring protease degradation of a single peptide substrate containing two cleavage sites for a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM17) in a single nanopore, simultaneous detection and quantification of these two model proteases in mixture samples could satisfactorily be accomplished. Our developed multiplexing sensing platform has the potential to be coupled with the traditional sensor array to further improve the multiplexing capability of the sensor, which may find useful applications in clinical diagnosis and prognosis.

ADAM10 Site-Dependent Biology: Keeping Control of a Pervasive Protease

Enzymes, once considered static molecular machines acting in defined spatial patterns and sites of action, move to different intra- and extracellular locations, changing their function. This topological regulation revealed a close cross-talk between proteases and signaling events involving post-translational modifications, membrane tyrosine kinase receptors and G-protein coupled receptors, motor proteins shuttling cargos in intracellular vesicles, and small-molecule messengers. Here, we highlight recent advances in our knowledge of regulation and function of A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase (ADAM) endopeptidases at specific subcellular sites, or in multimolecular complexes, with a special focus on ADAM10, and tumor necrosis factor-α convertase (TACE/ADAM17), since these two enzymes belong to the same family, share selected substrates and bioactivity. We will discuss some examples of ADAM10 activity modulated by changing partners and subcellular compartmentalization, with the underlying hypothesis that restraining protease activity by spatial segregation is a complex and powerful regulatory tool.