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Wiley MB, Bauer J, Alvarez V, Mehrotra K, Cheng W, Kolics Z, Giarrizzo M, Ingle K, Bialkowska AB, Jung B. Activin A signaling stimulates neutrophil activation and macrophage migration in pancreatitis. Sci Rep 2024; 14:9382. [PMID: 38654064 PMCID: PMC11039671 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60065-y] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute Pancreatitis (AP) is associated with high mortality and current treatment options are limited to supportive care. We found that blockade of activin A (activin) in mice improves outcomes in two murine models of AP. To test the hypothesis that activin is produced early in response to pancreatitis and is maintained throughout disease progression to stimulate immune cells, we first performed digital spatial profiling (DSP) of human chronic pancreatitis (CP) patient tissue. Then, transwell migration assays using RAW264.7 mouse macrophages and qPCR analysis of "neutrophil-like" HL-60 cells were used for functional correlation. Immunofluorescence and western blots on cerulein-induced pancreatitis samples from pancreatic acinar cell-specific Kras knock-in (Ptf1aCreER™; LSL-KrasG12D) and functional WT Ptf1aCreER™ mouse lines mimicking AP and CP to allow for in vivo confirmation. Our data suggest activin promotes neutrophil and macrophage activation both in situ and in vitro, while pancreatic activin production is increased as early as 1 h in response to pancreatitis and is maintained throughout CP in vivo. Taken together, activin is produced early in response to pancreatitis and is maintained throughout disease progression to promote neutrophil and macrophage activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B Wiley
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Jessica Bauer
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Valentina Alvarez
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kunaal Mehrotra
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Wenxuan Cheng
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Zoe Kolics
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Michael Giarrizzo
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Komala Ingle
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Agnieszka B Bialkowska
- Department of Medicine, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - Barbara Jung
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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2
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Chang C, Wang Y, Wang R, Bao X. Considering Context-Specific microRNAs in Ischemic Stroke with Three "W": Where, When, and What. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04051-5. [PMID: 38381296 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04051-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNA molecules that function as critical regulators of various biological processes through negative regulation of gene expression post-transcriptionally. Recent studies have indicated that microRNAs are potential biomarkers for ischemic stroke. In this review, we first illustrate the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and demonstrate the biogenesis and transportation of microRNAs from cells. We then discuss several promising microRNA biomarkers in ischemic stroke in a context-specific manner from three dimensions: biofluids selection for microRNA extraction (Where), the timing of sample collection after ischemic stroke onset (When), and the clinical application of the differential-expressed microRNAs during stroke pathophysiology (What). We show that microRNAs have the utilities in ischemic stroke diagnosis, risk stratification, subtype classification, prognosis prediction, and treatment response monitoring. However, there are also obstacles in microRNA biomarker research, and this review will discuss the possible ways to improve microRNA biomarkers. Overall, microRNAs have the potential to assist clinical treatment, and developing microRNA panels for clinical application is worthwhile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuheng Chang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
- M.D. Program, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Youyang Wang
- Department of General Practice (General Internal Medicine), Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Renzhi Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Xinjie Bao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100730, China.
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3
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Qurat-ul-Ain, Frei NF, Khoshiwal AM, Stougie P, Odze R, Camilleri-Broet S, Ferri L, Duits LC, Bergman J, Stachler MD. Feasibility Study Utilizing NanoString's Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP) Technology for Characterizing the Immune Microenvironment in Barrett's Esophagus Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:5895. [PMID: 38136440 PMCID: PMC10742302 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15245895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Characterization of the Barrett's esophagus (BE) microenvironment in patients with a known progression status, to determine how it may influence BE progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), has been understudied, hindering both the biological understanding of the progression and the development of novel diagnostics and therapies. This study's aim was to determine if a highly multiplex interrogation of the microenvironment can be performed on endoscopic formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples, utilizing the NanoString GeoMx digital spatial profiling (GeoMx DSP) platform and if it can begin to identify the types of immune cells and pathways that may mediate the progression of BE. We performed a spatial proteomic analysis of 49 proteins expressed in the microenvironment and epithelial cells of FFPE endoscopic biopsies from patients with non-dysplastic BE (NDBE) who later progressed to high-grade dysplasia or EAC (n = 7) or from patients who, after at least 5 years follow-up, did not (n = 8). We then performed an RNA analysis of 1812 cancer-related transcripts on three endoscopic mucosal resections containing regions of BE, dysplasia, and EAC. Profiling with GeoMx DSP showed reasonable quality metrics and detected expected differences between epithelium and stroma. Several proteins were found to have an increased expression within NDBE biopsies from progressors compared to non-progressors, suggesting further studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qurat-ul-Ain
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
| | - Nicola F. Frei
- Amsterdam UMC Locatie AMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Pim Stougie
- Amsterdam UMC Locatie AMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert Odze
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA
| | - Sophie Camilleri-Broet
- Division of Thoracic and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Ferri
- Division of Thoracic and Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery, Montreal General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 1A4, Canada
| | - Lucas C. Duits
- Amsterdam UMC Locatie AMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacques Bergman
- Amsterdam UMC Locatie AMC, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew D. Stachler
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA;
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4
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Wiley MB, Bauer J, Mehrotra K, Zessner-Spitzenberg J, Kolics Z, Cheng W, Castellanos K, Nash MG, Gui X, Kone L, Maker AV, Qiao G, Reddi D, Church DN, Kerr RS, Kerr DJ, Grippo PJ, Jung B. Non-Canonical Activin A Signaling Stimulates Context-Dependent and Cellular-Specific Outcomes in CRC to Promote Tumor Cell Migration and Immune Tolerance. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3003. [PMID: 37296966 PMCID: PMC10252122 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15113003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
We have shown that activin A (activin), a TGF-β superfamily member, has pro-metastatic effects in colorectal cancer (CRC). In lung cancer, activin activates pro-metastatic pathways to enhance tumor cell survival and migration while augmenting CD4+ to CD8+ communications to promote cytotoxicity. Here, we hypothesized that activin exerts cell-specific effects in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of CRC to promote anti-tumoral activity of immune cells and the pro-metastatic behavior of tumor cells in a cell-specific and context-dependent manner. We generated an Smad4 epithelial cell specific knockout (Smad4-/-) which was crossed with TS4-Cre mice to identify SMAD-specific changes in CRC. We also performed IHC and digital spatial profiling (DSP) of tissue microarrays (TMAs) obtained from 1055 stage II and III CRC patients in the QUASAR 2 clinical trial. We transfected the CRC cells to reduce their activin production and injected them into mice with intermittent tumor measurements to determine how cancer-derived activin alters tumor growth in vivo. In vivo, Smad4-/- mice displayed elevated colonic activin and pAKT expression and increased mortality. IHC analysis of the TMA samples revealed increased activin was required for TGF-β-associated improved outcomes in CRC. DSP analysis identified that activin co-localization in the stroma was coupled with increases in T-cell exhaustion markers, activation markers of antigen presenting cells (APCs), and effectors of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Activin-stimulated PI3K-dependent CRC transwell migration, and the in vivo loss of activin lead to smaller CRC tumors. Taken together, activin is a targetable, highly context-dependent molecule with effects on CRC growth, migration, and TME immune plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark B. Wiley
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Jessica Bauer
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Kunaal Mehrotra
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Jasmin Zessner-Spitzenberg
- Clinical Department for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Zoe Kolics
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Wenxuan Cheng
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
| | - Karla Castellanos
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Michael G. Nash
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Xianyong Gui
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lyonell Kone
- Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Ajay V. Maker
- Department of Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Guilin Qiao
- Department of Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA
| | - Deepti Reddi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David N. Church
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
- NIHR Oxford Comprehensive Biomedical Research Center, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - Rachel S. Kerr
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - David J. Kerr
- Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4BH, UK
| | - Paul J. Grippo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Barbara Jung
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; (M.B.W.); (K.M.)
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Li Y, Hu F, Deng J, Huang X, Zhou C, Wu M, Duan D. Proteomic analysis of radioiodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer identifies CHI3L1 upregulation in association with dysfunction of the sodium-iodine symporter. Oncol Lett 2022; 25:36. [PMID: 36589664 PMCID: PMC9773326 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2022.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Radioiodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC) is the main factor adversely affecting the overall survival rate of patients with thyroid cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the underlying molecular mechanism of pathogenesis of RR-DTC and to explore novel therapeutic targets for clinical treatment. A proteomic analysis was performed using the tumor tissues of patients with RR-DTC. A total of 6 metastatic lymph nodes were collected during lymph node dissection, 3 from patients with RR-DTC and 3 from patients with papillary thyroid cancer. The expression of chitinase-3-like 1 (CHI3L1) and sodium-iodine symporter (NIS) in the tumor tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Western blotting was used to detect the expression of CHI3L1, phosphorylated (p)-MEK and p-ERK1/2 in PTC-K1 cells transfected with CHI3L1 overexpression vector. The proteomic analysis identified 665 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 327 upregulated and 338 downregulated proteins in the RR-DTC group, which were enriched in 59 signaling pathways by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database analysis. In particular, CHI3L1 was demonstrated to be significantly upregulated in RR-DTC as evidenced by quantitative proteomic analysis and IHC. Western blotting suggested that the overexpression of CHI3L1 activated the MEK/ERK1/2 signaling pathway, which may lead to NIS dysfunction. In conclusion, the present study suggests that CHI3L1 is a potential molecular target for the radiotherapy of patients with RR-DTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunjie Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second People's Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, P.R. China
| | - Fengqiong Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Jie Deng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing 400037, P.R. China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
| | - Chunyan Zhou
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, P.R. China
| | - Mengxue Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Chongqing 400038, P.R. China
| | - Dong Duan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, P.R. China,Correspondence to: Dr Dong Duan, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chongqing General Hospital, 118 Xingguang Avenue, Yubei, Chongqing 401147, P.R. China, E-mail:
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6
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Ramadan F, Saab R, Hussein N, Clézardin P, Cohen PA, Ghayad SE. Non-coding RNA in rhabdomyosarcoma progression and metastasis. Front Oncol 2022; 12:971174. [PMID: 36033507 PMCID: PMC9403786 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.971174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is a soft tissue sarcoma of skeletal muscle differentiation, with a predominant occurrence in children and adolescents. One of the major challenges facing treatment success is the presence of metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, commonly associated with the more aggressive fusion-positive subtype. Non-coding RNA (ncRNA) can regulate gene transcription and translation, and their dysregulation has been associated with cancer development and progression. MicroRNA (miRNA) are short non-coding nucleic acid sequences involved in the regulation of gene expression that act by targeting messenger RNA (mRNA), and their aberrant expression has been associated with both RMS initiation and progression. Other ncRNA including long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), circular RNA (circRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) have also been associated with RMS revealing important mechanistic roles in RMS biology, but these studies are still limited and require further investigation. In this review, we discuss the established roles of ncRNA in RMS differentiation, growth and progression, highlighting their potential use in RMS prognosis, as therapeutic agents or as targets of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farah Ramadan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science II, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- INSERM, Unit 1033, LYOS, Lyon, France
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Faculty of Science I, Lebanese University, Hadat, Lebanon
| | - Raya Saab
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Nader Hussein
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Molecular Immunology, Faculty of Science I, Lebanese University, Hadat, Lebanon
| | - Philippe Clézardin
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- INSERM, Unit 1033, LYOS, Lyon, France
| | - Pascale A. Cohen
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- INSERM, Unit 1033, LYOS, Lyon, France
| | - Sandra E. Ghayad
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science II, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Aix-Marseille University, INSERM 1263, INRAE 1260, C2VN, Marseille, France
- *Correspondence: Sandra E. Ghayad,
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Hadjimichael AC, Pergaris A, Kaspiris A, Foukas AF, Kokkali S, Tsourouflis G, Theocharis S. The EPH/Ephrin System in Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcomas' Pathogenesis and Therapy: New Advancements and a Literature Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095171. [PMID: 35563562 PMCID: PMC9100911 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095171] [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: 04/14/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Musculoskeletal sarcomas represent rare heterogenous malignancies of mesenchymal origin that can be divided in two distinct subtypes, bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Current treatment options combine the surgical excision of local tumors and multidrug chemotherapy to prevent metastatic widespread disease. Due to the grim prognosis that usually accompanies such tumors, researchers have attempted to shed light on the molecular pathways implicated in their pathogenesis in order to develop novel, innovative, personalized therapeutic strategies. Erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular receptors (EPHs) are tyrosine-kinase transmembrane receptors that, along with their ligands, ephrins, participate in both tumor-suppressive or tumor-promoting signaling pathways in bone and soft tissue sarcomas. The EPH/ephrin axis orchestrates cancerous processes such as cell–cell and cell–substrate adhesion and enhances the remodeling of the intracellular cytoskeleton to stimulate the motility and invasiveness of sarcoma cells. The purpose of our study was to review published PubMed literature to extract results from in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials indicative of the role of EPH/ephrin signaling in bone and soft tissue sarcomas. Based on these reports, significant interactions between the EPH/ephrin signaling pathway and a plethora of normal and abnormal cascades contribute to molecular mechanisms enhancing malignancy during sarcoma progression. In addition, EPHs and ephrins are prospective candidates for diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic purposes in the clinical setting against bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Argyris C. Hadjimichael
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.C.H.); (A.P.); (S.K.); (G.T.)
- Department of Orthopaedics, St Mary’s Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, Praed Street, London W2 1NY, UK
| | - Alexandros Pergaris
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.C.H.); (A.P.); (S.K.); (G.T.)
| | - Angelos Kaspiris
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece;
| | - Athanasios F. Foukas
- Third Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, “KAT” General Hospital of Athens, Nikis 2, 14561 Kifissia, Greece;
| | - Stefania Kokkali
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.C.H.); (A.P.); (S.K.); (G.T.)
| | - Gerasimos Tsourouflis
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.C.H.); (A.P.); (S.K.); (G.T.)
| | - Stamatios Theocharis
- First Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias Street, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.C.H.); (A.P.); (S.K.); (G.T.)
- Correspondence:
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