Acod1 expression in cancer cells promotes immune evasion through the generation of inhibitory peptides

Targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) is an important component of many immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapeutic approaches. However, ICB is not an efficacious strategy in a variety of cancer types, in part due to immunosuppressive metabolites in the tumor microenvironment. Here, we find that αPD-1-resistant cancer cells produce abundant itaconate (ITA) due to enhanced levels of aconitate decarboxylase (Acod1). Acod1 has an important role in the resistance to αPD-1, as decreasing Acod1 levels in αPD-1-resistant cancer cells can sensitize tumors to αPD-1 therapy. Mechanistically, cancer cells with high Acod1 inhibit the proliferation of naive CD8+ T cells through the secretion of inhibitory factors. Surprisingly, inhibition of CD8+ T cell proliferation is not dependent on the secretion of ITA but is instead a consequence of the release of small inhibitory peptides. Our study suggests that strategies to counter the activity of Acod1 in cancer cells may sensitize tumors to ICB therapy.

Ketogenic diet alters the epigenetic and immune landscape of prostate cancer to overcome resistance to immune checkpoint blockade therapy

Resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy represents a formidable clinical challenge limiting the efficacy of immunotherapy. In particular, prostate cancer (PCa) poses a challenge for ICB therapy due to its immunosuppressive features. A ketogenic diet (KD) has been reported to enhance response to ICB therapy in some other cancer models. However, adverse effects associated with continuous KD were also observed, demanding better mechanistic understanding and optimized regimens for using KD as an immunotherapy sensitizer. In this study, we established a series of ICB-resistant PCa cell lines and developed a highly effective strategy of combining anti-PD1 and anti-CTLA4 antibodies with histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) vorinostat, a cyclic ketogenic diet (CKD), or dietary supplementation of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), which is an endogenous HDACi. CKD and BHB supplementation each delayed PCa tumor growth as monotherapy, and both BHB and adaptive immunity were required for the anti-tumor activity of CKD. Single-cell transcriptomic and proteomic profiling revealed that HDACi and ketogenesis enhanced ICB efficacy through both cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms, including upregulation of MHC class I molecules, and -extrinsic mechanisms, such as CD8+ T cell chemoattraction, M1/M2 macrophage rebalancing, monocyte differentiation toward antigen presenting cells, and diminished neutrophil infiltration. Overall, these findings illuminate a potential clinical path of using HDACi and optimized KD regimens to enhance ICB therapy for PCa.

Mechanotransduction-induced interplay between phospholamban and yes-activated protein induces smooth muscle cell hypertrophy

The gastrointestinal system is a hollow organ affected by fibrostenotic diseases that cause volumetric compromise of the lumen via smooth muscle hypertrophy and fibrosis. Many of the driving mechanisms remain unclear. Yes-associated protein-1 (YAP) is a critical mechanosensory transcriptional regulator that mediates cell hypertrophy in response to elevated extracellular rigidity. In the type 2 inflammatory disorder, eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), phospholamban (PLN) can induce smooth muscle cell hypertrophy. We used EoE as a disease model for understanding a mechanistic pathway in which PLN and YAP interact in response to rigid extracellular substrate to induce smooth muscle cell hypertrophy. PLN-induced YAP nuclear sequestration in a feed-forward loop caused increased cell size in response to a rigid substrate. This mechanism of rigidity sensing may have previously unappreciated clinical implications for PLN-expressing hollow systems such as the esophagus and heart.

Acod1 Expression in Cancer Cells Promotes Immune Evasion through the Generation of Inhibitory Peptides

Targeting PD-1 is an important component of many immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapeutic approaches. However, ICB is not an efficacious strategy in a variety of cancer types, in part due to immunosuppressive metabolites in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, we find that αPD-1-resistant cancer cells produce abundant itaconate (ITA) due to enhanced levels of aconitate decarboxylase (Acod1). Acod1 has an important role in the resistance to αPD-1, as decreasing Acod1 levels in αPD-1 resistant cancer cells can sensitize tumors to αPD-1 therapy. Mechanistically, cancer cells with high Acod1 inhibit the proliferation of naïve CD8+ T cells through the secretion of inhibitory factors. Surprisingly, inhibition of CD8+ T cell proliferation is not dependent on secretion of ITA, but is instead a consequence of the release of small inhibitory peptides. Our study suggests that strategies to counter the activity of Acod1 in cancer cells may sensitize tumors to ICB therapy.

Cancer-cell-intrinsic mechanisms shaping the immunosuppressive landscape of prostate cancer

Although immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment and achieved remarkable success across many different cancer types, only a subset of patients shows meaningful clinical responses. In particular, advanced prostate cancer exhibits overwhelming de novo resistance to immune checkpoint blockade therapy. This is primarily due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of prostate cancer. Therefore, it is paramount to understand how prostate cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms promote immune evasion and foster an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Here, we review recent findings that reveal the roles of the genetic alterations, androgen receptor signaling, cancer cell plasticity, and oncogenic pathways in shaping the immunosuppressive microenvironment and thereby driving immunotherapy resistance. Based on preclinical and clinical observations, a variety of therapeutic strategies are being developed that may illuminate new paths to enhance immunotherapy efficacy in prostate cancer.

Macrophage function in the elderly and impact on injury repair and cancer

Older age is associated with deteriorating health, including escalating risk of diseases such as cancer, and a diminished ability to repair following injury. This rise in age-related diseases/co-morbidities is associated with changes to immune function, including in myeloid cells, and is related to immunosenescence. Immunosenescence reflects age-related changes associated with immune dysfunction and is accompanied by low-grade chronic inflammation or inflammageing. This is characterised by increased levels of circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. However, in healthy ageing, there is a concomitant age-related escalation in anti-inflammatory cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and IL-10, which may overcompensate to regulate the pro-inflammatory state. Key inflammatory cells, macrophages, play a role in cancer development and injury repair in young hosts, and we propose that their role in ageing in these scenarios may be more profound. Imbalanced pro- and anti-inflammatory factors during ageing may also have a significant influence on macrophage function and further impact the severity of age-related diseases in which macrophages are known to play a key role. In this brief review we summarise studies describing changes to inflammatory function of macrophages (from various tissues and across sexes) during healthy ageing. We also describe age-related diseases/co-morbidities where macrophages are known to play a key role, focussed on injury repair processes and cancer, plus comment briefly on strategies to correct for these age-related changes.

Personalized stent design for congenital heart defects using pulsatile blood flow simulations

Stent size selection and placement are among the most challenging tasks in the treatment of pulmonary artery stenosis in congenital heart defects (CHD). Patient-specific 3D model from CT or MR improves the understanding of the patient's anatomy and information about the hemodynamics aid in patient risk assessment and treatment planning. This work presents a new approach for personalized stent design in pulmonary artery interventions combining personalized patient geometry and hemodynamic simulations. First, the stent position is initialized using a geometric approach. Second, the stent and artery expansion, including the foreshortening behavior of the stent is simulated. Two stent designs are considered, a regular stent and a Y-stent for bifurcations. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the blood flow in the initial and expanded artery models are performed using patient-specific boundary conditions in form of a pulsatile inflow waveform, 3-element Windkessel outflow conditions, and deformable vessel walls. The simulations have been applied to 16 patient cases with a large variability of anatomies. Finally, the simulations have been clinically validated using retrospective imaging from angiography and pressure measurements. The simulated pressure, volume flow and flow velocity values were on the same order of magnitude as the reference values obtained from clinical measurements, and the simulated stent placement showed a positive impact on the hemodynamic values. Simulation of geometric changes combined with CFD simulations offers the possibility to optimize stent type, size, and position by evaluating different configurations before the intervention, and eventually allow to test customized stent geometries and new deployment techniques in CHD.

Segregation of male-sterility alleles across a species boundary

Hybrid zones may serve as bridges permitting gene flow between species, including alleles influencing the evolution of breeding systems. Using greenhouse crosses, we assessed the likelihood that a hybrid zone could serve as a conduit for transfer of nuclear male-sterility alleles between a gynodioecious species and a hermaphroditic species with very rare females in some populations. Segregation patterns in progeny of crosses between rare females of hermaphroditic Schiedea menziesii and hermaphroditic plants of gynodioecious Schiedea salicaria heterozygous at the male-sterility locus, and between female S. salicaria and hermaphroditic plants from the hybrid zone, were used to determine whether male-sterility was controlled at the same locus in the parental species and the hybrid zone. Segregations of females and hermaphrodites in approximately equal ratios from many of the crosses indicate that the same nuclear male-sterility allele occurs in the parent species and the hybrid zone. These rare male-sterility alleles in S. menziesii may result from gene flow from S. salicaria through the hybrid zone, presumably facilitated by wind pollination in S. salicaria. Alternatively, rare male-sterility alleles might result from a reversal from gynodioecy to hermaphroditism in S. menziesii, or possibly de novo evolution of male sterility. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that some species of Schiedea have probably evolved separate sexes independently, but not in the lineage containing S. salicaria and S. menziesii. High levels of selfing and expression of strong inbreeding depression in S. menziesii, which together should favour females in populations, argue against a reversal from gynodioecy to hermaphroditism in S. menziesii.

Results from a low-energy analysis of the CDMS II germanium data

We report results from a reanalysis of data from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) experiment at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Data taken between October 2006 and September 2008 using eight germanium detectors are reanalyzed with a lowered, 2 keV recoil-energy threshold, to give increased sensitivity to interactions from weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with masses below ∼10  GeV/c(2). This analysis provides stronger constraints than previous CDMS II results for WIMP masses below 9  GeV/c(2) and excludes parameter space associated with possible low-mass WIMP signals from the DAMA/LIBRA and CoGeNT experiments.

Search for axions with the CDMS experiment

We report on the first axion search results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) experiment at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. An energy threshold of 2 keV for electron-recoil events allows a search for possible solar axion conversion into photons or local galactic axion conversion into electrons in the germanium crystal detectors. The solar axion search sets an upper limit on the Primakov coupling g(agammagamma) of 2.4x10(-9) GeV-1 at the 95% confidence level for an axion mass less than 0.1 keV/c2. This limit benefits from the first precise measurement of the absolute crystal plane orientations in this type of experiment. The galactic axion search analysis sets a world-leading experimental upper limit on the axioelectric coupling g(aee) of 1.4x10(-12) at the 90% confidence level for an axion mass of 2.5 keV/c2.

Search for weakly interacting massive particles with the first five-tower data from the cryogenic dark matter search at the soudan underground laboratory

We report results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search at the Soudan Underground Laboratory (CDMS II) featuring the full complement of 30 detectors. A blind analysis of data taken between October 2006 and July 2007 sets an upper limit on the weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) nucleon spin-independent cross section of 6.6x10;{-44} cm;{2} (4.6x10;{-44} cm;{2} when combined with previous CDMS II data) at the 90% confidence level for a WIMP mass of 60 GeV/c;{2}. This achieves the best sensitivity for dark matter WIMPs with masses above 44 GeV/c;{2}, and significantly restricts the parameter space for some favored supersymmetric models.

Search for Lorentz and CPT violation effects in Muon spin precession

The spin precession frequency of muons stored in the (g-2) storage ring has been analyzed for evidence of Lorentz and CPT violation. Two Lorentz and CPT violation signatures were searched for a nonzero delta omega a(=omega a mu+ - omega a mu-) and a sidereal variation of omega a mu+/-). No significant effect is found, and the following limits on the standard-model extension parameters are obtained: bZ = -(1.0+/-1.1) x 10(-23) GeV; (m mu dZ0 + HXY)=(1.8+/-6.0) x 10(-23) GeV; and the 95% confidence level limits b perpendicular mu+ <1.4 x 10(-24) GeV and b perpendicular mu- <2.6 x 10(-24) GeV.

Improved survival with combination oxaliplatin, irinotecan, cetuximab for metastatic pancreatic cancer

15180

Background: For metastatic pancreatic cancer, no combination chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival significantly in comparison to single agent gemcitabine. A novel combination with oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2, irinotecan 90 mg/m2, cetuximab 250 mg/m2 (OIC) given every two weeks appears to produce a high rate of radiographic response. Since our reporting (ASCO 2007 GI Conference), we continue to see a high rate of clinical and radiographic responses (50% by Recist Criteria). We therefore decided to look carefully on the survival data of OIC versus control (mainly gemcitabine single agent or in combination with other agents). Methods: We retrospective reviewed patients seen from 10/2002 to 10/2006 with diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic cancer. The survival duration was calculated from the date of diagnosis to the date of death. We included only patients whose dates of death could be confirmed with death certificates. Results: A total of 37 patients were identified. 11 of those were in the OIC arm and 26 were treated with other regimens (17 with gemcitabine-based regimens, 9 with either capecitabine or 5-FU-based regimens) that function as control. The range of survival duration was 4 - 28 months for OIC arm and 1 - 28 months for the control. Median survival was 10 months for the OIC arm versus 5 months for the control. Conclusions: OIC regimen produces a high rate of tumor response and may have a survival advantage with this retrospective analysis. We believe it is a regimen deserves further evaluation.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Limits on spin-independent interactions of weakly interacting massive particles with nucleons from the two-tower run of the cryogenic dark matter search

We report new results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS II) at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Two towers, each consisting of six detectors, were operated for 74.5 live days, giving spectrum-weighted exposures of 34 (12) kg d for the Ge (Si) targets after cuts, averaged over recoil energies 10-100 keV for a weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) mass of 60 GeV/c2. A blind analysis was conducted, incorporating improved techniques for rejecting surface events. No WIMP signal exceeding expected backgrounds was observed. When combined with our previous results from Soudan, the 90% C.L. upper limit on the spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross section is 1.6 x 10(-43) cm2 from Ge and 3 x 10(-42) cm2 from Si, for a WIMP mass of 60 GeV/c2. The combined limit from Ge (Si) is a factor of 2.5 (10) lower than our previous results and constrains predictions of supersymmetric models.

First results from the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search in the Soudan Underground Laboratory

We report the first results from a search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) in the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search experiment at the Soudan Underground Laboratory. Four Ge and two Si detectors were operated for 52.6 live days, providing 19.4 kg d of Ge net exposure after cuts for recoil energies between 10 and 100 keV. A blind analysis was performed using only calibration data to define the energy threshold and selection criteria for nuclear-recoil candidates. Using the standard dark-matter halo and nuclear-physics WIMP model, these data set the world's lowest exclusion limits on the coherent WIMP-nucleon scalar cross section for all WIMP masses above 15 GeV/c2, ruling out a significant range of neutralino supersymmetric models. The minimum of this limit curve at the 90% C.L. is 4 x 10(-43) cm2 at a WIMP mass of 60 GeV/c2.

Measurement of the negative muon anomalous magnetic moment to 0.7 ppm

The anomalous magnetic moment of the negative muon has been measured to a precision of 0.7 ppm (ppm) at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. This result is based on data collected in 2001, and is over an order of magnitude more precise than the previous measurement for the negative muon. The result a(mu(-))=11 659 214(8)(3) x 10(-10) (0.7 ppm), where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic, is consistent with previous measurements of the anomaly for the positive and the negative muon. The average of the measurements of the muon anomaly is a(mu)(exp)=11 659 208(6) x 10(-10) (0.5 ppm).

Measurement of the positive muon anomalous magnetic moment to 0.7 ppm

A higher precision measurement of the anomalous g value, a(mu)=(g-2)/2, for the positive muon has been made at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron, based on data collected in the year 2000. The result a(mu(+))=11 659 204(7)(5)x10(-10) (0.7 ppm) is in good agreement with previous measurements and has an error about one-half that of the combined previous data. The present world average experimental value is a(mu)(expt)=11 659 203(8)x10(-10) (0.7 ppm).

Infrared spectroscopy of goethite dehydroxylation: III. FT-IR microscopy of in situ study of the thermal transformation of goethite to hematite

Fourier transform infrared microscopy has been used to investigate in situ dehydroxylation of goethite to form hematite. The characterisation was based on the behaviour of hydroxyl units, which were observed in the hydroxyl stretching and hydroxyl deformation and water bending regions, and the Fe-O vibrations of the newly formed hematite during the thermal dehydroxylation process. Two hydroxyl stretching modes (v1 and v2), and three bending (V(bending-1, 2, 3)) and two deformation (V(deformation-1, 2)) modes were observed for goethite. The characteristic vibration at 916 cm(-1) was observed together with the residuals of the v1 and v2 bands in hematite spectrum. The structural transformation between goethite and hematite through thermal dehydroxylation was interpreted in order to provide criteria that can be used for the characterisation of thermally activated bauxite and their conversion to activated alumina phases.

Infrared spectroscopy of goethite dehydroxylation. II. Effect of aluminium substitution on the behaviour of hydroxyl units

Dehydroxylation of goethite as affected by aluminium substitution was investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in conjunction with X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermogravimetric analysis (DTGA). The band intensities of hydroxyl vibrations were indicative of the degree of dehydroxylation and the changes in band parameters due to aluminium substitution were observed. The effect of aluminium substitution on band parameters of FT-IR spectra of goethite and its partially and fully dehydroxylated products, the mixture of goethite/hematite and hematite, were interpreted. The results of this study have confirmed that aluminium substituted goethite is thermally more stable than non-substituted goethite and is in harmony with the results of XRD and DTGA. A larger amount of non-stoichiometric hydroxyl units is associated with a higher aluminium substitution. A shift to a higher wavenumber of bending and hydroxyl stretching vibrations is attributed to the effects of aluminium substitution associated with non-stoichiometric hydroxyl units on the a-b plane relative to the b-c plane of goethite. The results provide information for the characterisation of activated bauxite containing hematite and goethite.

Far-infrared spectroscopy of alumina phases

Far-infrared spectroscopy (FIR) has been used to distinguish alumina phases boehmite, diaspore, gibbsite and bayerite. The pellets of samples were prepared by mixing alumina phases with polyethylene at a ratio of 1:50, and the spectra were recorded between 50 and 400 cm(-1). The spectrum of boehmite resembles that of diaspore in the 300-400 cm(-1) region. Boehmite has two characteristic FIR bands at 366 and 323 cm(-1), while diaspore has five at 354, 331, 250, 199 and 158 cm(-1). The spectrum of gibbsite resembles that of bayerite in the 230-300 cm(-1) region. Gibbsite shows three characteristic FIR bands at 371, 279 and 246 cm(-1), whereas bayerite shows six at 383, 345, 326, 296, 252 and 62 cm(-1). The overlapping bands were resolved, and the spectra were manipulated appropriately using band analysis techniques. The FIR spectra are in harmony with the FT-Raman spectra. Far-infrared spectroscopy allows the study and differentiation of the stretching of AlO4 units to characterize these four alumina phases. Far-IR spectroscopy complements the mid-IR and near-IR for distinguishing alumina phases in bauxites.

Precise measurement of the positive muon anomalous magnetic moment

A precise measurement of the anomalous g value, a(mu) = (g-2)/2, for the positive muon has been made at the Brookhaven Alternating Gradient Synchrotron. The result a(mu+) = 11 659 202(14) (6) x 10(-10) (1.3 ppm) is in good agreement with previous measurements and has an error one third that of the combined previous data. The current theoretical value from the standard model is a(mu)(SM) = 11 659 159.6(6.7) x 10(-10) (0.57 ppm) and a(mu)(exp) - a(mu)(SM) = 43(16) x 10(-10) in which a(mu)(exp) is the world average experimental value.

Histomorphometric evidence for echistatin inhibition of bone resorption in mice with secondary hyperparathyroidism

Echistatin, an RGD-containing peptide, was shown to inhibit the acute calcemic response to exogenous PTH or PTH-related protein (PTH-rP) in thyroparathyroidectomized rats, suggesting that echistatin inhibits bone resorption. In this study: 1) we present histological evidence for echistatin inhibition of bone resorption in mice with secondary hyperparathyroidism, and show that 2) echistatin binds to osteoclasts in vivo, 3) increases osteoclast number, and 4) does not detectably alter osteoclast morphology. Infusion of echistatin (30 microg/kg x min) for 3 days prevented the 2.6-fold increase in tibial cancellous bone turnover and the 36% loss in bone volume, produced by a low calcium diet. At the light microscopy level, echistatin immunolocalized to osteoclasts and megakaryocytes. Echistatin treatment increased osteoclast-covered bone surface by about 50%. At the ultrastructural level, these osteoclasts appeared normal, and the fraction of cells containing ruffled borders and clear zones was similar to controls. Echistatin was found on the basolateral membrane and in intracellular vesicles of actively resorbing osteoclasts. Weak labeling was found in the ruffled border, and no immunoreactivity was detected at the clear zone/bone surface interface. These findings provide histological evidence for echistatin binding to osteoclasts and for inhibition of bone resorption in vivo, through reduced osteoclast efficacy, without apparent changes in osteoclast morphology.