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Simulated Microgravity Influences Immunity-Related Biomarkers in Lung Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010155. [PMID: 36613598 PMCID: PMC9820811 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Microgravity is a novel strategy that may serve as a complementary tool to develop future cancer therapies. In lung cancer, the influence of microgravity on cellular processes and the migratory capacity of cells is well addressed. However, its effect on the mechanisms that drive lung cancer progression remains in their infancy. In this study, 13 differentially expressed genes were shown to be associated with the prognosis of lung cancer under simulated microgravity (SMG). Using gene set enrichment analysis, these genes are enriched in humoral immunity pathways. In lieu, alveolar basal-epithelial (A549) cells were exposed to SMG via a 2D clinostat system in vitro. In addition to morphology change and decrease in proliferation rate, SMG reverted the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype of A549, a key mechanism in cancer progression. This was evidenced by increased epithelial E-cadherin expression and decreased mesenchymal N-cadherin expression, hence exhibiting a less metastatic state. Interestingly, we observed increased expression of FCGBP, BPIFB, F5, CST1, and CFB and their correlation to EMT under SMG, rendering them potential tumor suppressor biomarkers. Together, these findings reveal new opportunities to establish novel therapeutic strategies for lung cancer treatment.
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Cialdai F, Risaliti C, Monici M. Role of fibroblasts in wound healing and tissue remodeling on Earth and in space. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:958381. [PMID: 36267456 PMCID: PMC9578548 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.958381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Wound healing (WH) and the role fibroblasts play in the process, as well as healing impairment and fibroblast dysfunction, have been thoroughly reviewed by other authors. We treat these topics briefly, with the only aim of contextualizing the true focus of this review, namely, the microgravity-induced changes in fibroblast functions involved in WH. Microgravity is a condition typical of spaceflight. Studying its possible effects on fibroblasts and WH is useful not only for the safety of astronauts who will face future interplanetary space missions, but also to help improve the management of WH impairment on Earth. The interesting similarity between microgravity-induced alterations of fibroblast behavior and fibroblast dysfunction in WH impairment on Earth is highlighted. The possibility of using microgravity-exposed fibroblasts and WH in space as models of healing impairment on Earth is suggested. The gaps in knowledge on fibroblast functions in WH are analyzed. The contribution that studies on fibroblast behavior in weightlessness can make to fill these gaps and, consequently, improve therapeutic strategies is considered.
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Effects of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Cell Growth and Migration of A549 Cells under Simulated Microgravity. NANOMATERIALS 2022; 12:nano12111879. [PMID: 35683734 PMCID: PMC9182076 DOI: 10.3390/nano12111879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
With the increasing application of nanomaterials in aerospace technology, the long-term space exposure to nanomaterials especially in the space full of radiation coupled with microgravity condition has aroused great health concerns of the astronauts. However, few studies have been conducted to assess these effects, which are crucial for seeking the possible intervention strategy. Herein, using a random positioning machine (RPM) to simulate microgravity, we investigated the behaviors of cells under simulated microgravity and also evaluated the possible toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), a multifunctional nanomaterial with potential application in aerospace. Pulmonary epithelial cells A549 were exposed to normal gravity (1 g) and simulated gravity (~10−3 g), respectively. The results showed that simulated microgravity had no significant effect on the viability of A549 cells as compared with normal gravity within 48 h. The effects of TiO2 NPs exposure on cell viability and apoptosis were marginal with only a slightly decrease in cell viability and a subtle increase in apoptosis rate observed at a high concentration of TiO2 NPs (100 μg/mL). However, it was observed that the exposure to simulated microgravity could obviously reduce A549 cell migration compared with normal gravity. The disruption of F-actin network and the deactivation of FAK (Tyr397) might be responsible for the impaired mobility of simulated microgravity-exposed A549 cells. TiO2 NPs exposure inhibited cell migration under two different gravity conditions, but to different degrees, with a milder inhibition under simulated microgravity. Meanwhile, it was found that A549 cells internalized more TiO2 NPs under normal gravity than simulated microgravity, which may account for the lower cytotoxicity and the lighter inhibition of cell migration induced by the same exposure concentration of TiO2 NPs under simulated microgravity at least partially. Our study has provided some tentative information on the effects of TiO2 NPs exposure on cell behaviors under simulated microgravity.
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Bacci S, Bani D. The Epidermis in Microgravity and Unloading Conditions and Their Effects on Wound Healing. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:666434. [PMID: 35392403 PMCID: PMC8980714 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.666434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The future objectives of human space flight are changing from low-term permanence in the International Space Station to missions beyond low Earth orbit to explore other planets. This implies that astronauts would remain exposed for long time to a micro-gravity environment with limited medical support available. This has sparkled medical research to investigate how tissues may adapt to such conditions and how wound repair may be influenced. This mini-review is focused on the effects of microgravity and unloading conditions on the epidermis and its keratinocytes. Previous studies, originally aimed at improving the in vitro protocols to generate skin substitutes for plastic surgery purposes, showed that epidermal stem cells cultured in simulated microgravity underwent enhanced proliferation and viability and reduced terminal differentiation than under normal gravity. In the meantime, microgravity also triggered epithelial-mesenchymal transition of keratinocytes, promoting a migratory behavior. The molecular mechanisms, only partially understood, involve mechano-trasduction signals and pathways whereby specific target genes are activated, i.e., those presiding to circadian rhythms, migration, and immune suppression, or inhibited, i.e., those involved in stress responses. However, despite the above in vitro studies suggest that microgravity would accelerate keratinocyte growth rate and migration, in vivo findings on animals in experimental set-ups to simulate low gravity rather suggest that prolonged mechanical unloading contributes to delayed and impaired epidermal repair. This is in keeping with the finding that microgravity interferes at multiple levels with the regulatory signals which coordinate the different cell types involved in the repair process, thereby negatively influencing skin wound healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Bacci
- Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, Florence, Italy
- Department Biology, Florence, Italy
- *Correspondence: Stefano Bacci,
| | - Daniele Bani
- Research Unit of Histology and Embryology, Florence, Italy
- Department, Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Fedeli V, Cucina A, Dinicola S, Fabrizi G, Catizone A, Gesualdi L, Ceccarelli S, Harrath AH, Alwasel SH, Ricci G, Pedata P, Bizzarri M, Monti N. Microgravity Modifies the Phenotype of Fibroblast and Promotes Remodeling of the Fibroblast-Keratinocyte Interaction in a 3D Co-Culture Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23042163. [PMID: 35216279 PMCID: PMC8879576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Microgravity impairs tissue organization and critical pathways involved in the cell–microenvironment interplay, where fibroblasts have a critical role. We exposed dermal fibroblasts to simulated microgravity by means of a Random Positioning Machine (RPM), a device that reproduces conditions of weightlessness. Molecular and structural changes were analyzed and compared to control samples growing in a normal gravity field. Simulated microgravity impairs fibroblast conversion into myofibroblast and inhibits their migratory properties. Consequently, the normal interplay between fibroblasts and keratinocytes were remarkably altered in 3D co-culture experiments, giving rise to several ultra-structural abnormalities. Such phenotypic changes are associated with down-regulation of α-SMA that translocate in the nucleoplasm, altogether with the concomitant modification of the actin-vinculin apparatus. Noticeably, the stress associated with weightlessness induced oxidative damage, which seemed to concur with such modifications. These findings disclose new opportunities to establish antioxidant strategies that counteract the microgravity-induced disruptive effects on fibroblasts and tissue organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Fedeli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.F.); (S.C.); (M.B.)
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.D.); (G.F.)
| | - Alessandra Cucina
- Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- Policlinico Umberto I, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Dinicola
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.D.); (G.F.)
- Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Gianmarco Fabrizi
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.D.); (G.F.)
- Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Antonio Scarpa 14, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Angela Catizone
- Section of Histology and Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (L.G.)
| | - Luisa Gesualdi
- Section of Histology and Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 336, 00161 Rome, Italy; (A.C.); (L.G.)
| | - Simona Ceccarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.F.); (S.C.); (M.B.)
| | - Abdel Halim Harrath
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Saleh H. Alwasel
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Giulia Ricci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Paola Pedata
- Department of Medicine, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, 84084 Salerno, Italy;
| | - Mariano Bizzarri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.F.); (S.C.); (M.B.)
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.D.); (G.F.)
| | - Noemi Monti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; (V.F.); (S.C.); (M.B.)
- Systems Biology Group Laboratory, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.D.); (G.F.)
- Correspondence:
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Monti N, Masiello MG, Proietti S, Catizone A, Ricci G, Harrath AH, Alwasel SH, Cucina A, Bizzarri M. Survival Pathways Are Differently Affected by Microgravity in Normal and Cancerous Breast Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020862. [PMID: 33467082 PMCID: PMC7829699 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Metazoan living cells exposed to microgravity undergo dramatic changes in morphological and biological properties, which ultimately lead to apoptosis and phenotype reprogramming. However, apoptosis can occur at very different rates depending on the experimental model, and in some cases, cells seem to be paradoxically protected from programmed cell death during weightlessness. These controversial results can be explained by considering the notion that the behavior of adherent cells dramatically diverges in respect to that of detached cells, organized into organoids-like, floating structures. We investigated both normal (MCF10A) and cancerous (MCF-7) breast cells and found that appreciable apoptosis occurs only after 72 h in MCF-7 cells growing in organoid-like structures, in which major modifications of cytoskeleton components were observed. Indeed, preserving cell attachment to the substrate allows cells to upregulate distinct Akt- and ERK-dependent pathways in MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells, respectively. These findings show that survival strategies may differ between cell types but cannot provide sufficient protection against weightlessness-induced apoptosis alone if adhesion to the substrate is perturbed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Monti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- Systems Biology Group Lab, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Masiello
- Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.G.M.); (S.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Sara Proietti
- Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.G.M.); (S.P.); (A.C.)
| | - Angela Catizone
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic-Medicine and Orthopedics, Section of Histology and Embryology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Giulia Ricci
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Abdel Halim Harrath
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Saleh H. Alwasel
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia; (A.H.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Alessandra Cucina
- Department of Surgery “Pietro Valdoni”, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.G.M.); (S.P.); (A.C.)
- Azienda Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Bizzarri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- Systems Biology Group Lab, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-4976-6606
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