Exacerbated Activation of the NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Placentas from Women Who Developed Chronic Venous Disease during Pregnancy

Chronic venous disease (CVD) comprises a spectrum of morphofunctional disorders affecting the venous system, affecting approximately 1 in 3 women during gestation. Emerging evidence highlights diverse maternofetal implications stemming from CVD, particularly impacting the placenta. While systemic inflammation has been associated with pregnancy-related CVD, preliminary findings suggest a potential link between this condition and exacerbated inflammation in the placental tissue. Inflammasomes are major orchestrators of immune responses and inflammation in different organs and systems. Notwithstanding the relevance of inflammasomes, specifically the NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich-containing family, pyrin domain-containing-3)- which has been demonstrated in the placentas of women with different obstetric complications, the precise involvement of this component in the placentas of women with CVD remains to be explored. This study employs immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) to examine the gene and protein expression of key components in both canonical and non-canonical pathways of the NLRP3 inflammasome (NLRP3, ASC-apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a C-terminal caspase recruitment domain-caspase 1, caspase 5, caspase 8, and interleukin 1β) within the placental tissue of women affected by CVD. Our findings reveal a substantial upregulation of these components in CVD-affected placentas, indicating a potential pathophysiological role of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the development of this condition. Subsequent investigations should focus on assessing translational interventions addressing this dysregulation in affected patient populations.

Connecting epigenetics and inflammation in vascular senescence: state of the art, biomarkers and senotherapeutics

Vascular diseases pose major health challenges, and understanding their underlying molecular mechanisms is essential to advance therapeutic interventions. Cellular senescence, a hallmark of aging, is a cellular state characterized by cell-cycle arrest, a senescence-associated secretory phenotype macromolecular damage, and metabolic dysregulation. Vascular senescence has been demonstrated to play a key role in different vascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, chronic venous disease, and venous ulcers. Even though cellular senescence was first described in 1961, significant gaps persist in comprehending the epigenetic mechanisms driving vascular senescence and its subsequent inflammatory response. Through a comprehensive analysis, we aim to elucidate these knowledge gaps by exploring the network of epigenetic alterations that contribute to vascular senescence. In addition, we describe the consequent inflammatory cascades triggered by these epigenetic modifications. Finally, we explore translational applications involving biomarkers of vascular senescence and the emerging field of senotherapy targeting this biological process.

Is Insulin Receptor Substrate4 (IRS4) a Platform Involved in the Activation of Several Oncogenes?

The IRS (insulin receptor substrate) family of scaffold proteins includes insulin receptor substrate-4 (IRS4), which is expressed only in a few cell lines, including human kidney, brain, liver, and thymus and some cell lines. Its N-terminus carries a phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domain and a pleckstrin homology domain (PH), which distinguishes it as a member of this family. In this paper, we collected data about the molecular mechanisms that explain the relevance of IRS4 in the development of cancer and identify IRS4 differences that distinguish it from IRS1 and IRS2. Search engines and different databases, such as PubMed, UniProt, ENSEMBL and SCANSITE 4.0, were used. We used the name of the protein that it encodes "(IRS-4 or IRS4)", or the combination of these terms with the word "(cancer)" or "(human)", for searches. Terms related to specific tumor pathologies ("breast", "ovary", "colon", "lung", "lymphoma", etc.) were also used. Despite the lack of knowledge on IRS4, it has been reported that some cancers and benign tumors are characterized by high levels of IRS-4 expression. Specifically, the role of IRS-4 in different types of digestive tract neoplasms, gynecological tumors, lung cancers, melanomas, hematological tumors, and other less common types of cancers has been shown. IRS4 differs from IRS1 and IRS2 in that can activate several oncogenes that regulate the PI3K/Akt cascade, such as BRK and FER, which are characterized by tyrosine kinase-like activity without regulation via extracellular ligands. In addition, IRS4 can activate the CRKL oncogene, which is an adapter protein that regulates the MAP kinase cascade. Knowledge of the role played by IRS4 in cancers at the molecular level, specifically as a platform for oncogenes, may enable the identification and validation of new therapeutic targets.